Loyd Artists

Roger Day

BIOGRAPHY

Performance Formats:

Experience Marsh Madness!
Join XM KiDS radio favorite and Parents' Choice Award Winner Roger Day on an all new, all original, highly interactive musical journey up and down the amazing Atlantic seacoast. Step knee deep in oozy marsh mud; marvel at the mysterious journey of the loggerhead turtle; learn the secretive ways of the ghost crab; and watch out for vulture vomit! Students and teachers alike will be introduced to some very colorful characters who live in and around the barrier islands of the east coast and in the process will learn about the important role each of them play in maintaining a healthy coastal ecosystem. The songs were inspired by Roger's week-long residency as a guest research assistant at the Marine Institute on Sapelo Island. Concerts of these songs premiered at the Savannah Music Festival in March, 2010.

ROGER'S NEW CD, WHY DOES GREY MATTER AND OTHER BRAINY SONGS FOR KIDS, WINS A PARENT CHOICE GOLD AWARD - click on the link at the bottom of the page! His new concert Shake Up Your Brain based on songs from the CD is now available for booking!

From his first job as a camp counselor to his current jam-packed concert and recording schedule Roger Day has been writing and performing smart, interactive music that encourages kids to SING LOUD, JUMP HIGH and DREAM BIG.

A two-time Parents' Choice Award recipient and an approved Dove Family Foundation artist, Roger plays over 200 concerts every year from The Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, New York to The Halton Theater in Charlotte, North Carolina. He's been a featured artist at The Target Children's Book Festivals in Chicago, Detroit and Boston; the International Children's Festival in Edmonton, Alberta; and The Savannah Music Festival in Georgia. His songs can be heard on XMKiDs satellite radio. And his family concert video recently made its debut on public television.

Before turning his attention to family music, Roger was a popular college coffeehouse entertainer. He played over 1000 shows at 200 different colleges, releasing 3 critically acclaimed CDs along the way. He also earned 5 straight nominations as Coffeehouse Entertainer of the Year by The National Association of Campus Activities (NACA). NACA also awarded Roger the Harry Chapin Award for Contributions to Humanity for his community service children's shows.

Roger released his first CD of family music ROCK N' ROLL RODEO in 1998. He followed with READY TO FLY in 2001 which featured guest appearances by The Indigo Girls and Nanci Griffith. Parenting Magazine said the songs would make "imaginations soar" and made it one of their "Parenting Picks." In 2003 Roger filmed a family concert ROGER DAY LIVE! According to the warning label the DVD will turn "all couch potatoes into curly cheese fries." It was named one of Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Products of 2004 and earned The Film Advisory Board Award for Outstanding Family Video as well.

DREAM BIG! is Roger's third full-length family CD. The culmination of his 10 year focus on creating joyful children's songs that exercise both mind and muscle, body and brain, it has everything from old school rock featuring rock n' roll legends The Crickets (Buddy Holly's old band) to new school rap (if you can call any song with a reference to Philo Farnsworth, the obscure inventor of the TV, a rap.) It has Motown horns, a classical string quartet and XMKiDs star Billy Jonas playing his entire repertoire of "industrial repercussion" instruments too. There's even the first known recording of a sump-pump hose just to make it interesting!

Roger was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. A 1985 graduate of Washington & Lee University, Roger currently lives in Franklin, Tennessee with his wife Jodie and their three children. An Eagle Scout, Roger spends his free time as a volunteer leader for Cub Scout Den 7 and Boy Scout Troop 137. He's also been known to deliver a Girl Scout cookie or two.

From First Idea to Finished Song; A Creative Writing Workshop with Songwriter Roger Day

Roger's songwriting workshop uses many of the same creative writing techniques that students are already learning in class - main ideas, brainstorming, editing, etc. Using these techniques and others, Roger guides students through 5 easy steps to write and record an original song in one class period. He opens the workshop with some of his original songs and explains to the class the challenges he faced with each song and how he solved them. The students then move on to create their own original song by developing an idea and choosing music, brainstorming to refine the idea and editing their product to produce a final song in a fun and participatory process.

Roger's songwriting workshop is a fresh approach to creative writing and authoring. It gives students a chance to develop language and ideas, learn about the importance of meter and rhyme and get a close-up view of the creative process. Once back in the classroom, students can continue to develop the song started in the workshop or be encouraged to write new songs.