Music Minute: The Bright Siders - A Mind of Your Own

 

The Bright Siders is a unique musical collaboration between Nashville-based Americana songwriter Kristin Andreassen and Brooklyn-based child psychiatrist Kari Groff, MD. Together, they create music with the purpose of helping children connect to their emotions. Ten years in the making, their carefully crafted, star-studded debut album A Mind of Your Own arrives just when the world needs it most, and as the importance of mental health resurfaces in the public consciousness. Releasing on January 21, 2021 via Smithsonian Folkways Recordings on CD, LP, and digital formats, the album invites listeners to think deeply about empathy and self-compassion as they navigate the beauty and complexity of their emotional lives. The first single, “The Moon and the Stars and Me,” was inspired by a conversation Andreassen had with Dr. Groff’s young daughter about being afraid of the dark. The song speaks to how the darkness protects the colors so they (and we) can rest and become bright again in the morning.

With an inclusive cast of inspiring vocalists – including Ed Helms, The War & Treaty, Gaby Moreno, Punch Brothers, Joey Ryan (The Milk Carton Kids), Oh Pep!, Kaia Kater, and more – Andreassen, Dr. Groff and their co-producer, Chris Eldridge, offer a profoundly empowering collection of songs and skits for elementary-age children and the grownups who love them.    With playful lyrics and contagious melodies, this music cuts through the monofocus of our pandemic-centered times, offering a practical guide to raising emotionally intelligent children who, one day soon, will take those skills with them as they experience the beauty in growing up and becoming themselves. I had a chance to listen to this album. It's upbeat and optimistic. The songs are well-written and, unlike some kids' songs, not overly cheesy or annoying for adults to listen to! It's an album that can be a great song for families, especially those who are looking for ways to help instill a positive mindset and process sometimes challenging emotions!

Read the Smithsonian Folkways interview with Kristin Andreassen and Dr. Kari Groff, here. Visit www.folkways.si.edu and https://www.thebrightsiders.com for updates.