Music Minute: Erica Rabner - The Covid Album: Songs to Help Kids and Families Cope

 

Written in response to the ongoing pandemic, The Covid Album by Erica Rabner features kid-friendly safety and health-oriented PSAs as well as songs that support children’s emotional well-being. The eight original songs are interspersed with “Real Talk” vignettes with real kids talking about their actual experiences in these challenging pandemic times. The single and music video, “Grandma, I Miss Ya,” is available today as the album is available for pre-order from Rabner and her producer Brian Blake’s Sticky Jams label.

While creating The Covid Album, Rabner applied her background in research and early childhood education to discover what young families need right now. She consulted with teachers, parents, and kids at every stage of the recording process, testing titles, lyrics, and even performing songs to get feedback throughout the process of writing and recording. Two of the songs were released early in the pandemic: when “Wash Your Hands” was released in March, it was featured by the United Nations and became a source of inspiration for 593 unique TikTok videos. At the suggestion of a pediatrician, Rabner wrote the upbeat  “Mask On” in May.   Educators are excited about the release. “The lyrics speak directly to the experiences our children are facing and give voice to feelings young children may have trouble expressing with words,” said Andrea Kessler, a kindergarten teacher. “Erica makes it seem fun to wear a mask, start the day and deal with challenging times. She allows kids to be kids and to embrace a chapter of life that otherwise would be scary and lonely. The imagery and soulfulness she offers are like none other,” said Dr. Amy Glickman, a child psychiatrist. “Erica appropriately addresses fears and stresses and doesn't sugar coat everything,” noted Mick Watson, a retired Brandeis University psychology professor and dean. The first single, “Grandma, I Miss Ya,” came after Rabner’s own grandmother passed away last summer. “It broke my heart that I couldn’t hug her for the last six months of her life. It hit me that at the core of my sadness was a simple emotion of longing that so many kids are experiencing right now. It’s a song of longing rather than loss.” Grammy winner Jon Samson provides background vocals for the poignant track. Other songs also help kids (and parents) deal with everyday life right now: “Imagination Station” inspires kids to think creatively and learn to play independently. “Up and Roaring” celebrates routines and consistency amidst uncertainty. “Manage Your Feelings” offers  calming techniques, and “Shots Keep Us Safe” is particularly timely given the national conversations about kids and vaccines. The album’s final track “Love Trumps Hate” was released as a single last fall, and its message of kindness is stronger in the new year. Rabner recorded most of these songs in her “home studio” -- a closet in Austin, TX, collaborating virtually with her LA-based producer Brian Blake. “When the pandemic hit, I traded my NYC apartment for a car and drove across the country,” she says. “I became an expert at converting closets into vocal booths.”

About Erica Rabner Erica Rabner is a singer/songwriter and recording artist with a four-octave range and versatile repertoire. Her songwriting credits include “The Thanksgiving Song” for Sesame Studios, and three other albums for young children, the Parents’ Choice Award-winning PB & JAMS and the Pinna exclusives Mixie’s La-la-la-Letters and Real Me, all of which stream on Pinna.FM, the award-winning children’s audio app. Erica also regularly conducts research with preschoolers as the research analyst for Sesame Workshop's "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." In March, Rabner will release We Got This, an album tapping into issues older kids are dealing with, on the new children’s music label 8 Pound Gorilla Records.