You can only sing a boring version of a lullaby so many times, while quarantined with your kids. Fortunately, parents and fans of R&B coping with homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic will soon have a home for diverse songs and characters to share with their little ones, thanks to “The Magic Jones.” The collection of songs, music videos, and e-books was created by New Orleans natives and sisters, Arin Jones Jackson and Alexis Jones.
The duo was inspired to create music that both children and parents could enjoy listening to. With the goal of increasing ethnic diversity in lullabies and nursery rhymes, the project introduces animated characters of color in the video and e-book elements. The first single “Twinkle Twinkle” produced by Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning husband and wife production team Milk+Sizz, also creative partners on the project, features relaxing instrumentation that departs from the xylophonic and staccato melodies traditionally heard in lullabies.
Arin, an Atlanta-based mother of two and member of the Grammy-nominated group Brownstone, naturally infuses music into her parenting style, but still saw a void in the options for children’s music. “As an artist and mother of two young boys, I wanted to expose them to various elements of music as early as possible. During their toddler and pre-kindergarten stages, the options for music we could enjoy together were somewhat limited which is why we sought to create this collection,” said Jones Jackson. “With many families with young children under quarantine, it gave us the opportunity to collaborate again on something timely and meaningful” added Jones Jackson.
Alexis, a successful independent artist and actress whose performance credits include “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Tyler Perry’s “A Madea Christmas,” and a special James Corden “Carpool Karaoke,” added, “We’ve seen first-hand the surprise and enjoyment children experience when seeing characters that resemble themselves throughout the project.” The full collection will give the entire household the ability to read the classic Mother Goose stories while dancing along to videos and engaging with companion e-book activities. Eventually the duo hopes to bring “The Magic Jones” to theatres.
“Twinkle Twinkle” can be found on all streaming platforms and YouTube. The complete project “The Magic Jones and the Adventures of the Music Box” will be released in fall 2020.
The full EP tracklist includes:
1. “Music Box”
2. “Mary”
3. “Twinkle Twinkle”
4. “Clap Your Hands”
Website: themagicjones.com
Instagram: @TheMagicJones
Spotify (link available on May 8th): http://open.spotify.com/album/5QksA25H2LEj7v2m5dsKCp
Apple Music (link available on May 8th): https://music.apple.com/us/album/twinkle-twinkle-little-star-single/1509372938?ls=1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1_RDbhslWo&feature=emb_logo
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