Ants on a Log is releasing Rainbow Seekers, a new album that joyfully invites all children to explore identity and self-expression, while specifically uplifting trans and queer families. Written by Julie Be and Miles Crabtree, two trans and nonbinary music therapists, the album will be released on May 31, 2024, as the Ants kick off their June Pride Month Tour at venues including Philly’s Please Touch Museum and Parkway Central Library, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, and venues across New England.
The eight original songs on Rainbow Seekers introduce listeners to gender-expansiveness with humor and harmony, delivering language and concepts that are refreshingly relevant for queer families as well as universal messages of self-expression and inclusion. Nonbinary pronouns are integrated in playful, accessible ways, making the album an invaluable tool for modeling pronoun fluency and ensuring that when a child meets nonbinary peers, they will have the knowledge to respect their new friends and use their pronouns.
The Ants highlight trans and queer role models on their album with a collaborative cast of guest artists, including Grammy winners Alphabet Rockers, pop-punk musicians Fureigh (the Shondes/the Homobiles/Middle-Aged Queers), and Evan Greer, and family music band Strawbitty Yops.
Ants on a Log has also incorporated the music from the new album into an interactive family musical, “Rainbow Seekers: A Pride Show for Everyone.” During the musical, kids learn Rainbow Seeker Superpowers, which are themed around self-expression, social-emotional skills, and community building. After the show, children can practice their superpowers at multi-sensory activity stations, helping them integrate their new skills experientially and within community.
Rainbow Seekers - both the album and musical - builds upon the band’s decade-long history of producing music that supports gender-expansive youth. The album includes a new version of “They’re My Best Friend” which was the first song on national radio using exclusively nonbinary pronouns, and originally released on the 2020 Trans & Nonbinary Kids Mix.
Tour dates include:
Saturday June 1: Rainbow Seekers Musical at Parkway Central Library, Philly
Saturday June 8: Rainbow Seekers Musical at Please Touch Museum, Philly
Thursday, June 13: Middletown Free Library, PA
Thursday, June 13: Bellevue State Park Summer Concert Series, Wilmington, DE
Friday, June 14: Swarthmore Public Library, PA
Friday, June 21: Boston Public Library, MA
Friday, June 21: Medford Library, MA
Saturday, June 22: Robbins Library, Arlington, MA
Saturday, June 22: Brookline Library, MA
Sunday, June 23: Framingham, MA (location TBA)
Tuesday, June 25: Jamestown Library, RI
Saturday, June 29: Rainbow Seekers Musical, Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Updated tour info will be posted at www.AntsonaLogMusic.com/gigs and on their Facebook and Instagram pages @AntsonaLogMusic.
FULL TOUR DATES HERE
ABOUT ANTS ON A LOG:
Ants on a Log is a Philadelphia-based trio: music therapists Julie Be and Miles Crabtree, and elementary science teacher Anya Rose. Blending their skills has enabled the trio to reach beyond the usual scope of simple songs for children, tackling complex themes and embracing the full potential of a child’s ability to think and feel.
Known for skillfully weaving together social justice and silliness, the Ants have produced four albums, two musicals, and numerous singles, music videos, and educational resources. The “Trans & Nonbinary Kids Mix” won national acclaim as a landmark album in the world of intersectional kids media, featuring “They’re My Best Friend,” which became the first song on national radio to feature all nonbinary pronouns. Their musical “Curious: Think Outside the Pipeline!” won a Parent’s Choice Award for the 2019 soundtrack, and is viewable as a musical movie, as well as a script for schools to perform. The Ants have created companion content for several songs, including an anti-racism discussion guide and a skills worksheet for coping with anxiety and intrusive thoughts.
Ants on a Log’s music has been featured widely in national media, including the NY Times and NPR, and their self-produced music videos have been selected for juried film festivals around the world. The band has accrued songwriting awards from the International Songwriting Competition and the Songwriters' Association of Washington’s Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. In 2021, Julie Be received a Leeway Foundation Transformation Award, recognizing artists who demonstrate a long-term commitment to social change work.
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