Beethoven's Wig facts for kids

Beethoven's Wig is a fun American music group. They take famous classical music songs and add new, often funny, lyrics to them!

The group was created by Richard Perlmutter. He writes the lyrics, sings, and produces their music. Beethoven's Wig has even performed with many symphony orchestras. They have recorded four albums so far.

Each of their albums has been nominated for a Grammy Award. This is a very big award in music! The group has also won many other honors. These include four Parents Choice Awards. Three of their albums were named "Notable Recordings" by the American Library Association. In total, they have won over 50 national awards! The main singers in the group are Elin Carlson, Jonathan Mack, Susan Boyd, Jon Joyce, Jennifer Barnes, and Michael Geiger.

How Beethoven's Wig Started: Sing Along Symphonies

The group's first album was called Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Symphonies. It came out in 2002 on Rounder Records.

Richard Perlmutter loved classical music. He wanted to write words for it. He thought of the line "Beethoven's wig is very big." This fit perfectly with the start of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony! He realized a wig was a great symbol for classical music.

Soon after the album came out, Perlmutter was on NPR. He also appeared on NBC's Today Show. The album quickly became very popular online. It reached #1 on Amazon's Classical and Children's Music charts.

Magazines and newspapers loved it too! Pulse magazine called it "Brilliant!" The Los Angeles Times said it was a "fun way to appreciate music." U.S. News & World Report said the lyrics were "truly hilarious!"

This first album won 15 national awards. It got a Grammy Nomination and a Parents' Choice Award. It was also named an American Library Association Notable Recording.

Beethoven's Wig Performs Live

In 2004, the second album, Beethoven's Wig 2, was released. Perlmutter was again featured on NPR. His two albums took the top two spots on Amazon's sales chart!

At first, Perlmutter didn't plan for the group to perform live. But because the albums were so popular, he decided to create a touring group. They started performing with orchestras. The group included Elin Carlson, Susan Boyd, Jonathan Mack, and Jon Joyce.

A big moment happened in May 2006. Perlmutter and Beethoven's Wig performed for a sold-out crowd. They played at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

New Albums and Books

In 2005, Perlmutter released a children's book. It was called "Beethoven's Wig: Read Along Symphonies." Maria Rosetti illustrated the book.

In 2006, he released "Beethoven's Wig 3." This album was special. Each song had lyrics for a classical piece that featured a different musical instrument. For example, one song highlighted the xylophone. This album earned Perlmutter his third Grammy Nomination.

In 2008, "Beethoven's Wig 4: Dance Along Symphonies" came out. This album focused on classical pieces written for dances and marches. It even included music by American composers like Scott Joplin. This album brought Perlmutter his fourth Grammy Nomination.

In 2011, the first Beethoven's Wig Songbook was published. It had piano and vocal music from the first album.

Also in 2011, a new album was released. It was called "Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Piano Classics." This album featured lyrics for famous piano songs. These included works by Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin. Grant Gershon, a conductor from the Los Angeles Opera, played the piano.

In 2012, the songs from "Sing Along Piano Classics" became an illustrated songbook. It included the CD and sheet music. It also had fun stories about each song. Perlmutter's son, Sammy, drew the funny pictures.

Beethoven's Wig has also made animated videos! One video is for the song "My Little Chicken." Another is for "Beep Beep Beep," which uses Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata."

Today, Beethoven's Wig is still very popular. They are known for making "serious music" fun for everyone. They perform with orchestras and college groups. Richard Perlmutter also does solo shows. He sings and plays piano, guitar, or mandolin.

Awards

• Grammy Award Nomination: Best Musical Album for Children (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008)
• American Library Association Notable Recording (2003, 2005, 2009, 2012)
• ALA Booklist, Editor's Choice (2002, 2004, 2008)
• Parents Choice Award (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012)
• NAPPA Award (2002, 2004, 2006)
• Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award (2003, 2005, 2009)
• Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence (2003)

Discography

• Beethoven's Wig (Rounder Records, 2002)
• Beethoven's Wig 2: More Sing Along Symphonies (Rounder Records, 2004)
• Beethoven's Wig 3: Many More Sing Along Symphonies (Rounder Records, 2006)
• Beethoven's Wig 4: Dance Along Symphonies (Rounder Records, 2008)
• Beethoven’s Wig: Sing Along Piano Classics (Beethoven's Wig 2012)

Books

• Beethoven's Wig: Read Along Symphonies (Illustrated by Maria Rosetti, Rounder Books, 2005)
• Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Symphonies Songbook (Alfred Music Publishing, 2011)
• Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Piano Classics Songbook & CD (Alfred Music Publishing, 2012)

Choral Editions

• Beethoven's Wig (Alfred Music Publishing, 2012)