Jonathan Sprout facts for kids

Jonathan Sprout (born John Wells Sprout, Jr. on April 12, 1952) is an American songwriter, performer, and recording artist. He is from Pennsylvania, United States.

Jonathan has released twelve albums. Many of these albums feature children's music. He has performed over 6,500 concerts. He has also taught more than 800 songwriting workshops across the United States.

In 1994, Jonathan started a 20-year project. He researched, wrote, and recorded songs about American heroes. These songs became four albums. They won 26 national awards. One album was even nominated for a Grammy Award. This was in the "Best Children’s Album" category. In 2010, his album American Heroes #3 was nominated for a Grammy Award. This was in the "Best Music for Children" category.

About Jonathan Sprout

Jonathan Sprout outside smiling in front of a stone wall.

Jonathan Sprout grew up in Hightstown, New Jersey. He went to high school at the Peddie School in Hightstown. He became interested in music while at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

At Bucknell, he was part of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He also swam competitively. Jonathan was a member of Cap and Dagger, the campus theater group. He acted in plays like The Wizard of Oz. He earned his degree in psychology from Bucknell in 1974.

After college, he performed often. He played in ski resorts like Killington, Vermont. He also performed in Estes Park, Colorado, and Lake Placid, New York. His first album, "Angel's Everywhere" (1978), had songs he wrote during these years. In 1979, he started a band called Light.

Jonathan's life shows the values he sings about. He is an active member of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. He lives in Bryn Gweled. This is a special community near Philadelphia. It focuses on kind and responsible shared living. Jonathan uses a plug-in hybrid car. His home and studio use solar panels for energy. This helps him live and travel using very little power from the main electric grid.

Jonathan's Music Career

Early Music Projects

In 1986, Jonathan worked with Leslie Chew. They made four albums together. Their album On the Radio was one of the first rock music albums for children in America. In 1990, Sprout Recordings released Lullabies for a New Age. This was the first album of New Age music made for children.

In 1991, Jonathan used his psychology degree. He released Kid Power. This album was made to help children feel good about themselves. Dr. Music followed in 1994. Its main song was a top 10 hit for months. It played on Radio AHHS, a radio station for children.

Songs About American Heroes

In 1994, Jonathan began a big project. For 20 years, he researched and wrote songs about American heroes. These songs became four albums. They won 26 national awards. One album was even nominated for a Grammy Award. This was for the "Best Children’s Album" category.

Jonathan wrote a song about John Muir. This song is on his Grammy-nominated American Heroes #3 CD. Another song, "Interconnected," is about Rachel Carson. You can find more about his American Heroes collection at Songs for Teaching.

Force For Good Music

In 2016, Jonathan started a project called Force For Good. He was inspired by the heroes he sang about. He wanted to uplift and inspire people. He wanted to encourage them to be active citizens.

Jonathan worked with co-producer Joe Mennonna. They spent two years creating 24 original music pieces. Then, he worked for two more years with filmmaker Rodney Whittenberg. They made films for each song. The songs and films from Force For Good talk about important issues. These include climate change, renewable energy, and helping people who are hungry or homeless. They also talk about fairness for everyone.

Force For Good started releasing one film each month in January 2020. The first film was "Ice." It was about melting polar ice caps and climate change. The audio CD Passions came out in February 2020. A second CD, Innocence, was released in February 2021. The film "Safe," about gun regulation, was a finalist in an awards show.

Jonathan Sprout's Music

Music Recordings

• Angels Everywhere (Green Mount Records, 1978)
• A Light in the Night (Sprout Recordings, 1984)
• On the Radio (Sprout Records, 1986)
• Lullabies for a New Age (Sprout Recordings, 1991)
• Kid Power (Sprout Recordings, 1991)
• Dr. Music (Sprout Recordings, 1994)
• More American Heroes (Sprout Records, 2000)
• American Heroes (Sprout Records, 2006)
• American Heroes #3 (Sprout Recordings, 2009)
• American Heroes #4 (Sprout Recordings, 2014)
• Passions (Sprout Recordings, 2020)
• Innocence (Sprout Recordings, 2021)

Short Films

• Ice - [1]
• Harmony - [2]
• Courage - [3]
• Solar - [4]
• Refuge - [5]
• Community - [6]
• Safe - [7]
• Happiness - [8]
• Grace - [9]
• Hope - [10]
• Mountains - [11]
• Organic - [12]
• Exceptional - [13]
• Homeless - [14]
• Natural - [15]
• Adirondack - [16]
• Wilderness - [17]
• Vinyasa - [18]
• Reverence - [19]
• Plastic - [20]
• Wind Energy - [21]
• Oceans - [22]
• Uplifters - [23]
• Hunger - [24]

The film "Hunger" is used by the Warminster, PA Food Bank. Jonathan volunteers at this food bank.