Independent Music

About "We're All Americans":

For many years David Grover & the Big Bear Band have traveled across America entertaining and teaching children in very concievable venue from Indian Reservations to bandstands and from shelters for hurricane survivors to towns and cities bigand small. The thread throughout their music is the message that no matter where we come from, what color we are, or what we believe in, We're All Americans - and together we can make the world a better place.

On February 7, 1998 David Grover & the Big Bear Band gathered at The National Music Center in Lenox, Massachusetts to videotape "We're All Americans", a concert of songs with that message. A chorus of children from all over the Northeast joined forces with David and his friends to sing about, and by their presence together prove the simple truth.

From the pavements of New York's inner city to the majestic splendor of the Berkshires, the kids joined The Berkshire Lyric Children's Chorus to celebrate together with David Grover and the Big Bear Band, their individual experiences and the human tapestry that weaves us all together. "We're All Americans" is about people who make up our world. Songs about working, about the different shapes and sizes we come in, about the different places we come from, and songs that address the issues of social injustice.

The process of putting this project together was as fascinating as the performance itself. To bring together a group of children one step at a time with separate rehearsals in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Berkshires was in some way a microcosm of both the difficulties and the rewards of American itself! The story behind the story is a vision of America. Everyone involved in this project, children and adults alike got to experience the truth of this message, even while preparing to share it with others.

Postscript: Post September 11, 2001

It's no surprise that after September 11, communities immediately thought about the gentle messages about love hope and peace of David Grover & the Big Bear Band, and the phones were ringing off the hook to have David Grover come and do healing concerts for families. Also it's no surprise that David Grover's first thought was to orchestrate a healing concert for children. Upbeat and uplifting, the concert was such as success that the local PBS station filmed it and aired it so a broader audience of children could benefit. That broadcast was such a success that the show was offered to all the PBS stations in the country, and many of them aired it as well.

David and the Band also went to a Ground Zero school where the kids had lost parents, were stunned, scared and grieving. David Grover & the Big Bear Band again brought their musical healing to these wounded hearts. This project is even timelier today. Teach your children well. Bring David Grover & the Big Bear Band into their lives.

About the Artists:
David Grover writes, performs, and records music for children and adults. He began playing the clarinet at age 8 and quickly moved to the guitar, which he taught himself to play by the age of 11.

After many years in both the Rock and Roll and Classical music worlds, David formed "Shenandoah", an acoustic country-rock band, which joined singer Arlo Guthrie in 1975. From 1975 to 1981 David was Arlo's lead guitarist and arranger, traveling throughout all 50 states and around the world. In this capacity, he played with such musical greats as John Denver, Willie Nelson, Richie Havens, Country Joe McDonald, and Pete Seeger. David also arranged and performed on many of Arlo's albums.

David Grover and Terry A La Berry first played together when they were both 13 years old, and they haven't stopped yet! After many years playing for grown ups and traveling around the world, David took a break to raise his daughter Jessie, and to concentrate on songwriting. What he didn't know was that he would fall in love with playing for children and families.

In Time, David wrote more and more kids' songs, and began a very succesful career doing concerts for families and children, becoming friends with the kids and parents who came to hear his fun and uplifting music for kids. He discovered that he had a lot to teach children about music and about getting along with each other and with the world. Eventually, he made his first tape for these kids - "Kids Mean the World To Us".

As the crowds grew, David decided it would be fun to play kids music with a band. So of course, he called on his old friend, drummer extraordinaire, Terry A La Berry. But who would play the bass? There was a singer and an actress who David thought would be perfect as the third band member. So he knocked on Kathy Jo's door one night and asked her if she was interested in joining a new kids' band. When she said yes, he told her she'd have to learn to play the bass. That very night, David taught Kathy Jo to play "This Land Is Your Land", and she's been playing ever since!

David Grover and the Big Bear Band have been to a lot of places and played a lot of music since that time 10 years ago, but their messages and their love of kids have remained the same. From the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota to New York City to the White House, kids all over America have enjoyed and learned from David and the Band and their songs. As they keep touring and playing, and as they expand their audience through television and other media, we all hope that even more kids and families will hear the message that We All Can Make A Difference!!

Check out the artist's website:
http://www.davidgrover.com

Track List:
1. Intro
2. Connection
3. The Golden Rule
4. Do Your Best
5. Why Can't We Be Friends?
6. It Doesn't Take Much To Make You Happy
7. The Work Song
8. Turn The World Around
9. I Like The Flowers
10. He May Be Slow
11. You've Got To Be Carefully Taught
12. We're All Americans
13. Peace Like A River/Amen
14. Make A Friend

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