Group claims title of party rockers for preschool, early elementary age kids
Via interactive video – led by the in-person “M.C.” – the Zinghoppers shared their music to their target audience – preschool and early elementary age kids – with a concert at the Mountain Lake Public Library on Thursday afternoon, July 10.
The Zinghopper’s are a children’s band that performs dance-pop and hip-hop songs with age-appropriate lyrics, along with electronic dance music. Their appearance was funded by Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Those attending the event were led through the concert by “M.C.,” and were able to meet, via video, “J Star,” “DJ Kitty” and the three animal characters.The characters and songs were developed by a team of Early Childhood Educators form the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic. Their first professional shows were performed in 2007 at the Mall of America, the Minnesota State Fair and the South Dakota State Fair. They also released their first CD. Later in 2007, the band moved from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Phoenix, Arizona to film a season of “The Zinghoppers Show” for Arizona public television. In 2009, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee. In 2011, they toured on behalf of the Pentagon on a 19-country, world tour performing for United States military families serving in Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. That same year they hosted the first-ever web concert for families at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D. C. – and are the only children’s group every invited to play the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.
Their Nashville Public Television series, “Totally, Zinghoppers!” debuted in late 2011 and earned an Emmy Award for “Best Children’s Program.” The show was picked up by more public broadcasting stations (PBS), and today, more than 100 PBS stations broadcast the series. AFN Family, KidzBop On Demand and Trinity Broadcasting Network all broadcast the series as well, bringing the band nearly one million daily views in over 195 countries.
