Mike Mennard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Mennard
Mike Mennard
Background information
Origin	Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
Genres	Kindie Rock, Children's music
Years active	Since 2004
Members	Mike Mennard

Mike Mennard is a musician and storyteller who creates fun and educational music for children and their families. He was born in 1967 in Fort Worth, Texas, and now lives in Lincoln, Nebraska. Mike is known for his "Kindie Rock" style, which is a mix of kid-friendly rock music. He has been making music since 2004, bringing joy and learning to kids all over.

Mike Mennard's Journey to Music

Mike Mennard was once a very shy child. His mother helped him overcome his shyness by giving him an ice cream scoop and telling him to pretend it was a microphone. He started singing silly songs and poems for her. This helped him become the performer he is today. Mike says that the shy boy inside him helps him understand all kinds of children, whether they are shy or outgoing.

From Gospel to Family Music

In the 1990s, Mike performed gospel music across the United States. He released two albums, "Grace (and Other Stuff)" and "Life With a View." However, Mike's favorite type of music has always been children's music, which he calls "family music." He started including these fun songs in his gospel concerts. Soon, these family songs became the most requested part of his shows. People wanted to buy CDs of these lively songs. In 2004, Mike released his first children's album, "Something's Rotting in the Fridge," and has been busy creating music for kids ever since.

Teaching and Performing

Mike loves writing and performing music and poetry for children and their families. His shows are very popular in classrooms, libraries, state fairs, and concert halls. He is also an English professor at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. There, he teaches college students about the importance of poetry and music. Mike believes that you are never too young to enjoy rhythm, rhyme, and silly humor! He travels to reading conferences across the U.S. to entertain teachers and talk about keeping rhythm and fun alive in schools.

Mike's Musical Style

Since 2004, Mike Mennard has recorded six albums and created one stage musical. His music is perfect for families, with humor that adults, children, and teachers all enjoy. Mike's songs are mostly for elementary-aged kids. His funny stories and interactive performances have won over critics and families worldwide. Mike doesn't stick to just one type of music. On his albums, you might hear rock, rap, bluegrass, hip-hop, opera, and lullabies. A special part of Mike's work is how he mixes music and poetry. Each album has both songs and poems, all original. This is why some of his CDs have many tracks, sometimes as many as 51!

Mike Mennard's Albums

• Grace (and Other Stuff) (1991)
• Life With a View (1996)
• Something’s Rotting in the Fridge (2004)
• When Mother Goose Laid an Egg (2007)
• Night at the Whaler’s Inn (2008)
• Pirates do the Darnedest Things (2008)
• We’ve Got it All in Nebraska (2009)
• It's a Pirate's World (2011)
• Gotta be the Pants [with Mighty Magic Pants] (2013)
• Far Out [with Mighty Magic Pants] (2014)
• It Must be Christmas [with Mighty Magic Pants] (2014)

Stage Shows by Mike Mennard

• That's What Makes Them Pirates (2010)
• Captain Scrooge (2016)

Books by Mike Mennard

• Can't Keep my Soul from Dancing (2003)
• Shall We Gather at the Potluck (2004)
• The Left-sock Tree (2011)
• Song of the Merrows (2011)