Recess Monkey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Recess Monkey
Recess Monkey is (L to R): Drew Holloway, Korum Bischoff and Jack Forman.
Background information
Origin	Seattle, United States
Genres	Children's music
Years active	2005–present
Labels	independent record label
Members	Drew Holloway Jack Forman Korum Bischoff

Recess Monkey is a music group from Seattle, USA. This trio is made up of current and former elementary school teachers. They started making music for kids and families in 2005. Their first album was called Welcome to Monkey Town. Since then, they have released 13 albums.

Recess Monkey performs live concerts all over the United States. Their shows are very active. They focus on getting the audience involved. Everyone, including the whole family, can dance and have fun.

Albums and Songs

What They've Recorded

Recess Monkey is known for making a lot of music. They are a big part of the "Kindie Rock" music style in America. They usually release a new album every year. Each album has its own special theme.

Here are some of their albums:

• Welcome to Monkey Town, 2005
• Animal House, 2006
• Wonderstuff, 2007
• Tabby Road, 2008
• Field Trip', 2009
• The Final Funktier, 2010
• Flying, 2011
• In Tents, 2012
• Deep Sea Diver', 2013
• Desert Island Disc, 2013
• Wired, 2014
• Hot Air, 2015
• Novelties, 2016
• Family Photo Album, 2018

Awards and Special Mentions

Recess Monkey's albums have won many awards. These awards come from groups that recognize great family music.

Novelties Album

Their 2016 album, Novelties, was nominated for a GRAMMY Award in 2017. It was nominated for the Best Children's Album. The album also won a gold medal from the Parent's Choice Award. They said the album was "great production" and "rocked!" Novelties also got a NAPPA Award in 2016. This album was an Amazon Originals Family Album. It was available only on Amazon and Amazon Prime.

Hot Air Album

The 2015 album Hot Air also won a gold medal from the Parent's Choice Award. They liked its "irresistible sophistication" and "pop rhythms." Hot Air received a silver NAPPA Award. It was praised for its "sunny, Beatles-like quality." This album also got a KIDS First Award. They said it had "fun, danceable and delightfully listenable tunes."

Other Award-Winning Albums

Many of their other albums have also been recognized.

• Wired (2014) was a top album on the Fids and Kamily music poll.
• Deep Sea Diver (2013) was also a top album on the Fids and Kamily music poll.
• In Tents (2012) was a top album on the Fids and Kamily music poll.
• Flying (2011) was the number one album on the Fids and Kamily music poll.
• The Final Funktier (2010) was called "irresistibly fun" by People Magazine.
• Field Trip (2009) was chosen as an American Library Association Notable Children's Recording.

On Sirius XM Radio

Recess Monkey has had several number one songs on Sirius XM's Kids Place Live Channel 78. They have played live shows there every year since 2008. In 2013, Jack Forman, the band's bassist, became a host on Kids Place Live. He hosts a daily show called "Live From the Monkey House."

Live Shows and Performances

The band has played at many famous festivals. These include Lollapalooza in 2010 and 2016. They also played at Austin City Limits in 2011. Other festivals include The Life is Good Festival and Seattle's Northwest Folklife Festival. They also performed at The Bumbershoot Festival in 2009.

Recess Monkey often performs at Performing Arts Centers. They have played at Symphony Space in New York City. They also performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 2011. Another venue was The Segerstrom Center For the Arts in California.

The band has also been part of "Big Top Rock" shows. These are music and circus shows for families. They took place at Seattle's Teatro ZinZanni. Recess Monkey also played at Wolf Trap's Children's Theater in the Woods.

In 2008, Recess Monkey performed with The Dalai Lama. This was at the Seeds of Compassion event in Seattle. They played for 50,000 people at Qwest Field. The band also played at Legoland California in 2014. They shared the stage with The Okee Dokee Brothers at the Lincoln Children's Zoo in 2015.

Videos They've Made

Recess Monkey has made many of their own videos. When their Field Trip album came out in 2009, they released two DVDs. These DVDs were called Field Trips With Recess Monkey. Each DVD had four short episodes. They mixed music videos with live performances and interviews. The band's puppet manager, Mayor Monkey, hosted the shows.

The band has also made three full-length concert videos. These videos are from their Teatro ZinZanni Big Top Rock series. They are available for free on YouTube. In 2015, their album Hot Air came with a 40-minute DVD. This DVD told a story using animation and mixed media. Recess Monkey has also created many music videos for their songs since 2008.

Kindiependent Collective

Recess Monkey is part of the Kindiependent Collective. This is a group of children's music artists based in Seattle. Other members include Caspar Babypants and The Not-Its.