Mister G (children's performer)

Mister G

Mister G
Background information
Birth name Ben Gundersheimer
Born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
United States
Genres Children's music, funk, rock, ska, bossa nova, folk, blues, bluegrass, salsa
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist
Instruments Vocals, guitar, mandolin, banjo
Years active 2009-present
Labels Coil
Website MisterGsongs.com

Mister G (Ben Gundersheimer) is a Latin GRAMMY award winning children's musician and teaching artist. He has released seven award-winning albums of original music for children, including three bilingual (Spanish/English) albums. His 2015 bilingual release, Los Animales, won the Latin GRAMMY award for Best Children's album.[1] His 2012 and 2015 bilingual releases, Chocolalala, Los Animales and The Mitzvah Bus, won a Parents' Choice Gold Award. [2][3] ABC Fiesta (2014) received a Latin GRAMMY nomination.[4] His CDs have been selected as best children's albums of the year by People Magazine, Parents Magazine,[5] and The Washington Post.[6]

History

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mister G (Ben Gundersheimer) is the son of noted children’s book author and illustrator Karen Gundersheimer. Ben is a graduate of Amherst College, and the recipient of the first songwriting scholarship awarded by the Berklee College of Music.[7][8] As an adult-oriented singer/songwriter, he performed and toured internationally.[9] For his Master’s thesis at Smith College, Ben created a curriculum that incorporated song-writing as a learning tool. His 4th grade students dubbed him ‘Mister G’, and while teaching at the Smith College Campus School, he began writing the songs that would comprise his debut family album.[10]

Children’s music

Mister G performing in Mexico.
Mister G performing in Mexico.

Mister G's 2010 debut children's music release, Pizza for Breakfast, was inspired by his former elementary school students at the Smith College Campus School.[11]

BUGS, released in 2011, received awards from the Parents' Choice Foundation [12] and the National Parenting Publications. The album was also chosen as one of the top ten best children’s albums of 2011 by Parents Magazine and People Magazine.

Mister G's two bilingual albums, "Chocolalala" (2012) and "ABC Fiesta" (2013) were inspired by his concert tours throughout Latin America, and feature the voices of bilingual families.[13]

Released in 2014, The Bossy E is Mister G's literacy-themed album, which features a variety of genres, and received a NAPPA Award.[14] GRAMMY winning saxophonist Charles Neville (Neville Brothers) and Senegalese talking drum master Massamba Diop (Baaba Maal) both perform on the album.[15]

Los Animales (2015), is Mister G's most recent bilingual album. The record is a collaboration with 4-time GRAMMY award winning pianist Arturo O'Farrill, 3-time GRAMMY award winning bassist Oscar Stagnaro, and 2-time GRAMMY award winning drummer Vince Cherico.

Drawing from an eclectic range of musical influences, The Mitzvah Bus (2015), Mister G's Jewish-themed album, spans genres from funk to folk and rock to ska, while the lyrics celebrate family, holidays, food, camp and language.

All of Mister G's albums are written, produced, recorded and mixed by Ben Gundersheimer. Mister G tours internationally, headlining venues such as Symphony Space in New York, The National Zoo in Washington DC, The Hard Rock Cafe in Philadelphia, The Getty Museum in Los Angeles, The Coolidge Corner Theatre in Boston, among many others. Mister G also regularly conducts artists residencies in schools in the United States and Latin America.

Discography

Album

Videography

Siete Elefantes Released 6/2015 Watch
The Bossy E Released 6/2014 Watch
Cocodrilo Released 11/2013 Watch
ABC Fiesta Released 09/2013 Watch
Chocolalala Released 05/2013 Watch
Gonna Take My Hat Released 07/2011 Watch
Vamos A La Playa Released 07/2011 Watch
Mister Chubby Pants Released 09/2010 Watch
Squirrels Released 09/2010 Watch

References

  1. ↑ "16a Entrega Anual del Latin GRAMMY". Latin GRAMMYs. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  2. ↑ http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=31022&StepNum=1&award=aw
  3. ↑ "Los Animales". Parents' Choice Foundation. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  4. ↑ staff, Times. "Latin Grammys 2014: Complete list of nominees and winners". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  5. ↑ http://www.parents.com/fun/entertainment/music/top-childrens-cds-2011/?page=2#page=2
  6. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/kids-music-that-will-take-you-on-a-journey/2012/12/10/6acaff88-3e48-11e2-a2d9-822f58ac9fd5_story.html
  7. ↑ "There's No Crying in Music | Amherst College". www.amherst.edu. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  8. ↑ "No name News | Berklee College of Music". www.berklee.edu. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  9. ↑ "Login | Gazettenet.com". www.gazettenet.com. Retrieved 2015-09-27.
  10. ↑ "Login | Gazettenet.com". www.gazettenet.com. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  11. ↑ "Login | Gazettenet.com". www.gazettenet.com. Retrieved 2015-09-27.
  12. ↑ http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=29759&StepNum=1&award=aw
  13. ↑ "Interview: Ben Gundersheimer (Mister G)". Retrieved 2015-09-27.
  14. ↑ "NAPPAawards.com". NAPPAawards.com. Retrieved 2015-09-27.
  15. ↑ "Interview: Ben Gundersheimer (Mister G)". Retrieved 2015-09-27.
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