Joanie Leeds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joanie Leeds
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|---|---|
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| Born |
Joan Leibowitz
October 1, 1978 |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Awards | Grammy |
Joanie Leeds (born Joan Leibowitz in October 1978) is a Grammy-award winning musician. She is best known for creating fun music for children.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Joanie grew up in Miami, Florida, in a Jewish family. From a young age, she loved music. She took voice lessons and sang in school choirs. She also performed in musical theater shows.
Joanie taught herself to play the guitar. She started leading songs at her summer camp and youth group events. She studied musical theater and drama at Syracuse University. During college, she began writing her own songs. She even recorded her first album in her senior year. In 2000, she released her first full CD, My Job Application Knows More about Me Than You Do.
Becoming a Children's Musician
After college, Joanie moved to New York City. She worked at a music club called The Bitter End. For seven years, she sang with her rock band in many clubs. She even started her own record label, Limbostar, and a music publishing company.
In 2006, Joanie started working at Gymboree Play & Music. This is a place where kids can play and learn through music. She managed a location in New York City. Being around children inspired her. She began writing songs especially for kids. Soon after, she left Gymboree to start her own business. She would sing her original songs at birthday parties.
With some musician friends, Joanie released her first children's album, City Kid. This album won a Parents' Choice Award. It included fun songs like "Sushi" and "Blast Off."
Award-Winning Albums
In 2009, Joanie performed in many cities across the country. She also released two music videos online. She co-wrote a special album called Challah, Challah with Matthew Check. This album mixed Jewish music with bluegrass style.
In 2010, Joanie released a DVD called City Kid Live. It featured music videos and a live concert. The same year, she released her second children's album, I'm a Rock Star. This album included songs about being environmentally friendly, like "I Wanna Be Green." The title song was a finalist in The John Lennon Songwriting Contest. She also won an Independent Music Award for best children's song.
Joanie's next album was What a Zoo, released in 2011. It had animal-themed songs like "Happy As a Clam" and "Tofurky." These songs were played often on radio stations like XM/Sirius Satellite. The song "Tofurky" even became the official theme song for the Tofurky company during Thanksgiving! This album won another Parent's Choice Award and a NAPPA Gold Award. People and Parents magazines both named What a Zoo a top children's CD.
In 2013, Joanie released Bandwagon. Her group, Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights, won first place in a songwriting competition. In 2014, she released Good Egg. In 2015, she released Meshugana, an album of Jewish-themed songs. She also released a live DVD. Her eighth children's album, Brooklyn Baby!, came out in 2017.
In 2018, Joanie started a new project called Joanie and Matt with Matthew Check. They created a folk-Americana album. It shared old stories with a modern, strong female twist.
Joanie's ninth children's album, All the Ladies, was released in 2020. This album was all about female empowerment and equality. It featured songs about amazing women like Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The title track included singer Lisa Loeb. All the Ladies won a Grammy Award for Best Children's Album in 2021!
In 2022, Joanie released her tenth album, Oy Vey! Another Christmas Album. She co-wrote it with Fyütch. The album celebrated Jewish songwriters who wrote famous Christmas songs. It included new songs and classic remakes.
Joanie's latest album, fREADom, came out in 2023. It talks about book bans in America. Each song is inspired by a different children's picture book that has been banned. The album features a special group called the Book Band and other guest artists. Joanie also wrote an article for Billboard Magazine about why musicians care about school book bans.
Live Performances
Joanie Leeds performs at many national venues. These include big festivals like Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza. She also performs at famous places like The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center. Her music is often played on popular radio stations like Sirius XM.
Discography
Studio Albums
- 'My Job Application Knows More About Me Than You Do' (2000)
- 'Soul From My Footsteps' (2003)
- 'City Kid' (2008)
- 'Challah, Challah' (2009)
- 'I'm a Rock Star' (2010)
- 'What a Zoo' (2011)
- 'Bandwagon' (2013)
- 'Good Egg' (2014)
- 'Meshugana' (2015)
- 'Brooklyn Baby!' (2017)
- 'Sterling' (2019) - Leeds & Matt
- 'All the Ladies' (2020)
- 'Oy Vey! Another Christmas Album' (2022)
- 'fREADom' (2023)
Singles
- RBG (2020)
- Endless Summer (2021)
- Under the Same Stars (2021)
- Like A Maccabee (2021)
- Winter Wonderland (2021)
- Till Midnight (2021)
- A Snowflake's Lament (2023)
- Fauci Ouchie (2022)
- Every Day's a Holiday (2022)
- If Girls Ruled the World REMIX (2023)
- Broadway is My Favorite Sport (2023)
DVDs
- 'City Kid Live' (2010)
- 'Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights- Live from Madison Square Park' (2015)
