Lantern Parade in February, Let The Arts Light Up Your Life

In February, on Valentines Day, there will be a Lantern Celebration in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.
This is a community event on February 14th , 2009. There will be free lantern workshops in which the public are invited to come and make a lantern for the parade.
Pamela Sunshine will be playing and telling stories.
This is the first lantern parade in Ridge Meadows and is a forerunner of the big celebration as part of the 2010 Olympic Celebrations.
I am excited to be involved in the early planning for this magical event.
Letting the Arts Light Up Your Life is something Pamela Sunshine is all about, spreading light is good.

Extra Date Added at Burnaby.

I am happy to announce that an extra date has been added to my Heritage Christmas at Burnaby VIllage Museum schedule.
I will be there on Boxing Day from 1- 1:45 and again at 2:15.
Here is what you can look forward to at the Village over Christmas.

2008 Christmas Traditions, Past and Present

Scenes from seasonal storybooks and songs bring Christmas memories to life at the museum. The smell of cedar and pine boughs, the sight of festive wreaths with bright red bows, and the sounds of carollers remind visitors of Christmases past and present.

Also, look for decorations inspired by:

• The Nutcracker Suite
• Twas the Night Before Christmas
• O Tannebaum
• The Gingerbread House

Highlights include:

Father Christmas listens to children’s wishes. (Father Christmas represents the spirit of Christmas and is depicted as a lean man wearing a long belted robe & hat.)

Footlight Theatre returns to entertain visitors for another season. During the Heritage Christmas, their play will be presented over 45 times! Admission to these performances is included with museum entrance.

Baking in the Farmhouse. Every Sunday, before Christmas, visitors will be treated to the smells and tastes of baking - right from wood-stove in the kitchen at the Love Farmhouse.

"Twelve Days of Christmas" scavenger hunt. Items mentioned in the song have been placed throughout the site: pick up your check list, locate all the items, and earn a small prize.

Musicians, entertainers, demonstrators, story tellers, community choirs and heritage crafts are also scheduled throughout the season. Click here for the schedule of entertainment.

Pamela Sunshine TV

I have started a youtube channel PamelaSunshineTV
to post videos dealing with children's issues, such as the need for imaginative play, getting out into nature and experiencing gardening and active living.
Also I am really involved in Growing Up Green and so I include videos that seek to raise consciousness around the choices we make with our children and our lives.
Here is one of the videos I added to my favourites.

Pamela Sunshine Telling Christmas Stories at Burnaby Village

I am looking forward to telling my Christmas stories at Burnaby Village Museum.
I will be there on Dec 29th, 31st and Jan 1st. This has been a magical place for me to perform at in past years and it is great to be returning there this Christmas season.

Pamela Sunshine Playing at Chilliwack Library

On Saturday, November 15th, I will be performing for children at 2:00. I will be doing stories as well as some songs and chants for young children in Chilliwack.
The last time I was at the Chilliwack Library was in the early 90's when I did a series of Library shows in the Fraser Valley, as part of the Summer Reading Program.
I am looking forward to visiting Chilliwack Public Library and meeting all the little ones there.

Pamla Sunshine Website is Launched

I am so excited to announce that the official Pamela Sunshine website is now online. Please visit the site and give me your feedback.
The flash intro is so entrancing, with dancing musical notes that move along with the cursor, a sunrise and a flock of white birds, crossing the sky.
Inside there are rotating images reflecting the seasons and fairy dust as the cursor moves.
The music player at the top of each page allows you to skip along to the song of your choice, or you can turn it off and have no music.
Johnnie Wray, a Vancouver Web-designer, is the creator of this delightful site.
Thank you Johnnie.

The Story of Growing Up Green

Hi.
I am Pamela Sunshine, aka Pam Southwell, and I am so excited to be re recording the songs from my original Growing Up Green. I will also be adding some new songs, 'My Carbon Footprint...is getting smaller..." Little Seed and others to be announced.
I will be working with producer Allan Rodger (Rick Scott, Valdy, The Odds and more) on the new CD and I am thrilled to be revitalizing this important project.
An accompanying video and future publication of the Activity Book that goes with the songs is also part of the vision.

SOME BACKGROUND ON MY PROJECT
In 1992, more than 100 heads of state met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the first international Earth Summit convened to address urgent problems of environmental protection and socio-economic development.
At the time of the Brazil Earth Summit I was teaching in England
I was invited to write some songs for a multi school environmental event in Kings Lynn, Norfolk.
While sitting in a classroom waiting for the morning assembly, at which I had been asked to perform a few songs, the teacher took morning attendance.
I noticed that all the children, 5 and year olds, were wearing badges saying 'Growing Up Green'.
"I wonder if they even know what that means?" I thought as I sat there observing them.
Then the song came to me, and I quickly scribbled it down.
I sang the song at the assembly and the children caught on to the chorus straight away, "Growin Up Green means I care"
I had already written several songs for the project and decided to record them.
It was released in the good old cassette tape format and I feel much of the sound quality suffered as it was digitalised for CD production.
I also want to update the arrangements of some of the songs as my dream is to get this CD heard by as many children as possible.
I am planning on a spring release and an international tour to support this release is already taking shape.
I would love to hear from any environmental organizations and individuals interested in helping support this project via sponsorship or in just spreading the word/songs out into the world.
You can share my songs be grabbing the player widget on the left hand side of this page and post it on any site you wish.
Thanks

New Website Coming for Pamela Sunshine

Hi
I am very excited about a new website that will be online soon. Johnnie Wray, a talented web designer is putting the finishing touches on a beautiful new site, with a whimsical flash intro page, I can't wait for it to be up for all to see.

I have finished recording the new version of "Growing Up Green" with Allan Rodger at Crosstown Studios in Vancouver. You can hear it at my MySpace page at the moment or on the player on the to your right, on the blog sidebar, just click play.

I have started this blog to talk about my children's music, storytelling and even educational thoughts. Welcome to all who find their way here.