“Up down side to side/Flap your wings/Do the dragonfly.” These are the lines of a new track found in the third album of Sean’s Music Factory’s “Love and Music,” produced by Terry Carleton at the Bones and Knives studio. The album was released on Thursday, May 12 on the Internet and is available for purchase at San Jose’s Hicklebee’s bookstore and at live performances. The music video for “Dragonfly,” found on “Sean’s Music Factory” YouTube Channel has been receiving plenty of positive responses. The chorus is easy for a child to sing along to, the educational lyrics tell about the complexities of dragonflies and the playful chords inspire movement.
“I was having a tough time naming the album. I threw out the track list with my sister-in-law and she suggested naming the album ‘Love and Music,'” says Sean Mendelson, the lead vocalist and musician behind Sean’s Music Factory. “The song ‘Love and Music’ is my way of inspiring future generations to combat any darkness that is in the world. When I was finishing the album, the attack on Paris occurred. So I decided to seize the souls of my listeners and introduce the idea of love, an idea that’s in a lot of music.”
Some of the album tracks have contrasts; some tunes speed up and slow down and some tunes move from loud to soft. For example, “Two Little Blackbirds” is a traditional song that Mendelson wrote a new melody for and rearranged so he could show a contrast between high and low notes. While teaching, Mendelson demonstrates these high and low notes by raising his hand high or dipping it low.
“I’ve discovered over the years teaching children that the biggest effect of drawing children in with music is with contrast,” Mendelson says. “Stretching the boundaries even further by stopping the music entirely or speeding up completely out of rhythm is also a fun way to keep children’s attention.”
Both of Mendelson’s children performed backup vocals on four of the eleven tracks on “Love and Music.” For example, Mendelson’s son, Logan, did a comedy bit on “Open and Shut Them.” Mendelson explains how the song “Kindergarten Shoes” came about.
“Literally, the day before kindergarten, my daughter Jillian started singing ‘I got my kindergarten shoes and I’m ready to move,'” Mendelson says. “I turned to my wife and I said ‘stop everything.’ I pulled out my guitar at the breakfast table. Then Jillian wrote the three verses that are in the song.”
Mendelson will be performing at San Jose State University’s King Library on May 21 at 3 p.m. in the children’s section. Follow Sean’s Music Factory on Facebook for details about other upcoming shows.