Smithsonian Folkways Acquires Bobby Susser's New Hope Records Catalog

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, whose mission includes preserving and disseminating music from all over the world, has acquired Bobby Susser's New Hope Records catalog of award-winning music for young children. 'Bobby Susser Songs for Children,' a 12-album set to be released direct-to-digital September 9, features some of Susser's most highly acclaimed music, originally issued between 1994 and 2012. The new collection makes available songs that have become staples of America's children's music canon.

'Bobby Susser Songs for Children' includes beloved albums such as 'Animals at the Zoo,' 'My Day/In Motion and Play,' and 'AMERICA: An Album for All Ages.' 'Wiggle Wiggle and Other Exercises,' from 1996, includes original, instructive songs that delight and engage children between age 2 and 8 (Pre-K through Grade 3), serving as teaching aids for ESL and Special Education Programming Instruction. For 1998's 'I Have Songs in My Pocket,' Susser collaborated with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ben E. King to produce an offering of friendly and fun sing-alongs that help children learn about colors, vocabulary, rhythms, and much more. Praised by Parent Guide as "friendly and fun," Susser's music is both educational and entertaining.

"Most children's music artists, producers, writers, and entertainers seem to approach children's music as entertainment," says Bobby Susser. "There is a branch of children's music that is entertainment and there's also a teaching branch, a learning branch. From my very beginnings, my goal was to contribute in some effective way to create a sort of union between the joy of music and the wonderful experience of learning new things."

Susser continues, "To have my work recognized and made public now by Smithsonian Folkways will spread it further, and I hope more people will value it for themselves and for their children's growth and education over time, hopefully for generations. There is no better place for this music than its new home."

Paul Simon, a childhood friend who recorded with Susser in the early '60s as Tico and The Triumphs, says, "I've known Bobby Susser most of my life. It turned out he was not only a gold glove shortstop but a masterful creator of children's songs."

"Bobby Susser's dozen albums have an engaging sound, a positive vision, and timeless messages," says Atesh Sonneborn, Associate Director of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. "The focus of 'Bobby Susser Songs for Children' is on developmentally appropriate childhood milestones via these songs and activities, which are already treasured by many parents, teachers, and caregivers. The catalog immeasurably strengthens our outreach to new audiences."

A family man from Long Island, NY, Susser began his career as a pop songwriter and producer; he launched his children's music series in the 1970s. His passion for children's education led him to Columbia University, where he received his M.A. in Early Childhood Development in 1987. Over a 45-year career, Susser has produced and written 25 albums, sold more than 5 million children's records, and received over 45 awards, including six Parent's Choice Awards, the

Distinguished Alumni Award from Teachers College (Columbia University), and, most recently, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Josephine Foundation.

'Bobby Susser Songs for Children' includes:

Bobby Susser - We Are Better Together (1994)

Bobby Susser - The Album for All Seasons (1995)

Bobby Susser - Wiggle Wiggle and Other Exercises (1996)

Bobby Susser - Animals at the Zoo (1997)

Bobby Susser - From: Ben E. King I Have Songs in My Pocket (1998)

Bobby Susser - Respect and Confidence (2002)

Bobby Susser - I Need You and You Need Me (2002)

Bobby Susser - Early Learning Sing-Along (2003)

Bobby Susser - My Day/In Motion and Play (2004)

Bobby Susser - All Roads Lead to Home (2008)

Bobby Susser - America: An Album for All Ages (2009)

Bobby Susser - WO! (2012)

About Smithsonian Folkways:

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution, the national museum of the United States. As part of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, we are dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among people through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound.

Our mission is the legacy of Moses Asch, who founded Folkways Records in 1948 to document "people's music," spoken word, instruction, and sounds from around the world. Smithsonian Folkways has continued to expand on Asch's legacy, adding several other record labels to the collections, such as Cook, Monitor, and the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music, and releasing over 400 new recordings that document and celebrate the sounds of the world around us. With the acquisition of Arhoolie Records, the collection consists of more than 3,500 albums and 50,000 tracks along with videos, playlists, podcasts, lesson plans for teachers, and Smithsonian Folkways Magazine.

NOTE: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings retail distribution in the US is through ADA (Alternative Distribution Alliance) at 800.239.3232. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings releases are available through record and book outlets. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, as well as Folkways Records, A.R.C.E., Arhoolie, Banjo Builders, Blue Ridge Institute, Cook, Collector, Dyer-Bennet, Fast Folk, I.L.A.M., The Mickey Hart Collection, Monitor, M.O.R.E., Paredon, and UNESCO are available via mail order at 888.FOLKWAYS or 800.410.9815. Visit the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings website at www.folkways.si.edu or write to 600 Maryland Ave. SW, Suite 2001, Washington, DC, 20024.

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