MISTER LAURENCE: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, accordion, and lead vocals
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MS. PRINCESS MELINDA: keyboards, theramin, and harmony vocals
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THE PLAY MONEY BAND {their prerecorded backup group}: Additional guitars, keyboards, clarinet, alto recorder, bass, programmed digital drums, sound effects, etc.
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"The MISTER LAURENCE Experience" performs their take on TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR during their debut CD release concert.
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"The MISTER LAURENCE Experience" showcases new music videos featuring the beauty & brains of MS. PRINCESS MELINDA! (Note: Star Fish is a two-time 1st Place winner at both West Branch Children's Film Festival and Philo T. Farnsworth Film Festival.)
Influences
Not necessarily in this order: Frank L. Baum, Charles Ives, Theodor S. Geisel, Don Van Vliet, C.S. Lewis, Syd Barrett (and his Pink Floyd), Van Dyke Parks, Pee Wee Herman, Ray Davies, They Might Be Giants, Edward Gorey, The Beatles, Eric Dolphy, Hermans' Hermits, Winsor McKay, The Danielson Famile, "natural environments", Brian Wilson, Mister Laurence... Neutral Milk Hotel, Anthony Braxton, XTC, Peter Pan, Salvidor Dali, Adam Ant, Brian Eno, Jim Carry, Weezer, Cocteau Twins, Steel Eye Span, Orchestral music, "human imagination", Thee Three Little Dweazshers (Tara, Ashia, and Brittany), musical bros Roger & Benjamin, my father's sense of humor, and God.
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3 MISTER LAURENCE music videos taken from his award winning collections; MISTER LAURENCE IN BUBBLELAND, and RETURN TO BUBBLELAND.
Sounds Like
The B-52's meet They Might Be Giants meets, with tons of British Invasion...
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4 Solo performances shot in 2005, 2006, and 2008.
Mister Laurence began employment as "music guy" in the Ann Arbor preschools back in 1998, and soon realized his true calling ~ Children's entertainment! Reinventing myself shortly thereafter, Mister Laurence began writing, recording, and performing original songs & stories for kids, as well as his own zany renditions of nursery classics. He performed as a solo artist for the longest time, playing on his acoustic guitar, decked out in "real" play money, and singing karaoke style along to my prerecorded backing tracks, The Play Money Band. This year Mister Laurence teamed up with keyboardist & singer Ms. Princess Melinda as THE MISTER LAURENCE EXPERIENCE. Together they have produced a community television series called MISTER LAURENCE'S "Enchanted" GREEN TREE FORT and two ambitious no-budget music videos of which STAR FISH won 1st Place in it's category at both WEST BRANCH CHILDREN'S FILM FESTIVAL and PHILO T. FARNSWORTH FILM FESTIVAL! Their October debut CD release family concert at Ann Arbor's NICOLA'S BOOKS was a smash hit. A packed house by bookstore standards. Today Ann Arbor. Tomorrow the world...
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PRESS RELEASE October, 2009
Farfetched Records is pleased to announce the release of Marmaline - My Music Machine, a CD of music for young children, by The Mister Laurence Experience. With its canny mix of amusing sound effects, friendly chitchat, and catchy songs, Marmaline tells the story of two children traveling with Mister Laurence on his magical vehicle, a wondrous contraption that is able to fly, dive, and sail, and runs on recycled sheet music (“instead of guzzling gasoline”). Part Yellow Submarine, part Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, part time machine, Marmaline transports its listeners on a musical odyssey that bubbles with sweetness, charm, and wry humor.
Those familiar with children’s entertainer Mister Laurence will be delighted to hear more of the quirky and lovingly crafted songs that are the hallmark of this performer’s style. Those hearing Mister Laurence’s music for the first time will marvel how his melodies and lyrics ingeniously accomplish what all good children’s music aims to do: enthrall kids with entertainment that is undeniably fresh, all the while fostering a sense of independence, self-esteem, and respect for peers and elders.
Silly, but never sappy, the dozen songs on Marmaline display a deep understanding of children and their world, touching on everything from the tribulations of being a kid (“The Pouting Song”) to gentle lessons about caring for the environment (“Stewards of the Earth”). But lest you think this is music just for the little ones, a close listen will reveal hints of British pop, surf music, and even notes of a Sousa-like march wafting through the mix. Like his eight previous CD releases, Mister Laurence (aka Laurence Miller), wrote, played, and recorded all of the songs on Marmaline himself at his recording studio in his Ann Arbor, Michigan home. Recently joined by the lovely and talented Ms. Princess Melinda on keyboards and vocals, The Mister Laurence Experience will soon be hitting the road for a series of shows in the Detroit area that will bring the magic of Marmaline to the stage.
And what shows they will be. Toting an electric green sparkle guitar and accordion, decked out in his retro green high-top sneakers, satin lapel jacket and barrette, Mister Laurence is as likely to resemble a psychedelic rockabilly singer as a children’s performer. Backed by pre-recorded tracks of his songs, and now accompanied by the pink-coiffed and gowned Ms. Princess Melinda, Mister Laurence will once again demonstrate why he is fast becoming one of the most loved children’s performers on the scene today... Mary Franz
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Mister Laurence & his Play Money Band's Friend Space (Top 29)
Mister Laurence & his Play Money Band has 230 friends.
Just stopping by to say hello and give you some news. The new album 'Coolgilly and the Freakshow' from Centascope is now available worldwide from CD Baby and directly from the merchandise page of the official website. You can also get the album from Apple iTunes, MSN Music, Rhapsody, Napster, Amazon and many more.
Grinz – Granz – Grunz, hier kommt Keiler Kalle ICH darf es sagen – ich bin wohl die einzige richtige Sau hier bei MySpace :-) Danke für die schweinische Freundschaft.
Schaut Euch mal mein Zeichentrick Video, auf meiner MySpace Seite an... Aber ihr könnt mich auch Live mit meiner Rotte im Internet sehen.
Schaut mal in den Suchmaschienen nach Wildtiere-Live.
Allerdings teile ich mir die Sendezeit mit den Hirschen! Oder besucht mich richtig lebendig, in der schönen Eifel, im Tierpark Hellental.
Euer Keiler Kalle
GRUNT, SNORT, SNOOT, this is wild boar Willy! It seems that I am the only wild boar here at MySpace.
Take a look at my latest musicvideo here on MySpace.
You can also see me live on the internet at wildtiere-live Stay tuned and see how I cast out the deer at our animal park. Why don..t you just come over to the Tierpark Hellental (my home - my castle)? Thanks for our boar-y friendship! Yours, Wild Boar Willy PS: In Germany they call me "Keiler Kalle"!