Sometimes it’s OK for kids to cause a little trouble. A new album from Alastair Moock encourages kids to use their outdoor voices for what is right.
Be a Pain: An Album for Young (and Old) Leaders explores the power young people have on making positive changes in the world. The album combines songs about the heroes of the past, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Harvey Milk, and Rosa Parks, with inspiring people alive today, such as Malala Yousafzai and the Parkland, Florida, student protesters.
“Her choice to sit and fight helped to bring on civil rights — because one strong woman chose to be a pain,” Moock sings about Rosa Parks in the title track, which tells kids it’s good to question the way things are in order to bring change. Listen to the bluesy song below.
Singers who joined in on the rootsy, bluegrass, and sometimes gospel album include Sol y Canto, Alisa Amador, Reggie Harris, Mark Erelli, Crys Matthews, Kris Delmhorst, Melanie DeMore, Rani Arbo, Heather Mae, and Sean Staples. Families can expect to hear youth voices from the Boston City Singers and Grammy-nominated producer Anand Naya as well.
Moock raised more than $11,000 for his Be a Pain educational programs, which means some lesser-privileged schools in Boston will receive free copies of the album, as well as free programming on social justice.
Families on the East Coast can celebrate the release this spring with live performances at the Boston Public Library in Somerville, Massachusets, and at Kindiecomm in Philadelphia. Find more info about his tour dates here.
The album launches on April 3. Parents can preorder it now from Amazon, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.
