Mister G (children's performer)

Mister G
Mister G
Mister G
Background information
Birth nameBen Gundersheimer
BornPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
United States
GenresChildren's music, funk, rock, ska, bossa nova, folk, blues, bluegrass, salsa
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, mandolin, banjo
Years active2009–present
LabelsCoil
WebsiteMisterGsongs.com

Mister G (Ben Gundersheimer) is a Latin Grammy-winning musician, author, and educator. He has released ten award-winning albums of original music for children and families, including four bilingual (Spanish/English). His 2015 bilingual release, Los Animales, won the Latin Grammy award for Best Children's album.[1] Five of his albums (Chocolalala, Los Animales, The Mitzvah Bus, Mundo Verde/Green World, Fireflies) have won the Parents' Choice Gold Award.[2][3] ABC Fiesta (2014) received a Latin Grammy nomination.[4] His CDs have been selected as best children's albums of the year by People Magazine, Parents Magazine,[5] and The Washington Post.[6]

History

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Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mister G is the son of children's book author and illustrator Karen Gundersheimer. He graduated from Amherst College, and received a songwriting scholarship from the Berklee College of Music.[7][8] As an adult-oriented singer-songwriter, he performed and toured internationally.[9] He was awarded a full fellowship for his Master of Education degree at Smith College. For his Master's thesis at Smith College, he created a curriculum that incorporated song-writing as a learning tool. His 4th grade students dubbed him ‘Mister G’, and while teaching at the Smith College campus school, he began writing children's songs.[9]

Musician

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Mister G performing in Mexico.
Mister G performing in Mexico

Mister G's 2010 debut children's music release, Pizza for Breakfast, was inspired by his former elementary school students at the Smith College campus school.[9]

BUGS, released in 2011, received awards from the Parents' Choice Foundation[10] and the National Parenting Publications. The album was also chosen as one of the top ten best children’s albums of 2011 by Parents Magazine and People Magazine.

Mister G's bilingual albums, Chocolalala (2012) and "ABC Fiesta" (2013) were inspired by his concert tours throughout Latin America, and feature the voices of bilingual families.[11]

Released in 2014, The Bossy E is Mister G's literacy-themed album, which features a variety of genres, and received a NAPPA Award.[12] Grammy winning saxophonist Charles Neville (Neville Brothers) and Senegalese talking drum master Massamba Diop (Baaba Maal) both perform on the album.[11]

For his Latin Grammy winning album, Los Animales (2015), Mister G collaborated with leading figures from the Latin music world including Arturo O'Farrill, Oscar Stagnaro, Marlow Rosado, Vince Cherico, and Robby Ameen.

Drawing from an eclectic range of musical influences, The Mitzvah Bus (2015), Mister G's Jewish-themed album, spans genres from funk to folk and rock to ska, while the lyrics celebrate family, holidays, food, camp and language.

Mundo Verde/Green World (2017) is a collection of original, bilingual children's songs with an environmental theme.

Seeds of Shalom (2018) is a collection of original, multicultural songs.

Mister G returns to his roots with Americana release, Fireflies (2019).

All of Mister G's albums are written, produced, recorded and mixed by Gundersheimer. Mister G has toured widely, headlining venues such as Symphony Space in New York, The National Zoo, The Hard Rock Cafe in Philadelphia, The Getty Museum in Los Angeles, The Coolidge Corner Theatre in Boston, among many others. Mister G also regularly conducts artists residencies for students and professional development workshops for teachers in schools in the United States and Latin America.

Discography

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Album

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  • Children of the World (Coil Records) 2020
  • Ritmo y Rima (Coil Records) 2020
  • Fireflies (Coil Records) 2019
  • Seeds of Shalom (Coil Records) 2018
  • Mundo Verde/Green World (Coil Records) 2017
  • The Mitzvah Bus (Coil Records) 2015
  • Los Animales (Coil Records) 2015
  • The Bossy E (Coil Records) 2014
  • ABC Fiesta (Coil Records) 2013
  • Chocolalala (Coil Records) 2012
  • BUGS (Coil Records) 2011
  • Pizza for Breakfast (Coil Records) 2010

Videography

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Dinosaur (with José Valentino) Key West Sessions Watch
Everything's Free (with Massamba Diop) Black Bear Sessions Watch
Fireflies Released 10/2018 Watch
Siete Elefantes Released 6/2015 Watch
The Bossy E Released 6/2014 Watch
Cocodrilo Released 11/2013 Watch
ABC Fiesta Released 09/2013 Watch
Chocolalala Released 05/2013 Watch
Gonna Take My Hat Released 07/2011 Watch
Vamos A La Playa Released 07/2011 Watch
Mister Chubby Pants Released 09/2010 Watch
Squirrels Released 09/2010 Watch

Author

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Mister G has written four picture books based on his original songs. All the books Señorita Mariposa, Lilah Tov/Good Night, "How Many Squirrels Are in the World?" and "We'll Make Things Better Together," were published by Penguin Random House.

Activist

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Mister G performed at the National Climate Rally in Washington, D.C. He has headlined four concerts on Capitol Hill for children and families from all fifty states in his role as an advocate for Moms Clean Air Force. Two of his albums (Mundo Verde/Green World and Seeds of Shalom) have explicit environmental themes, as does his picture book (Señorita Mariposa) which is about the monarch butterfly migration.

Educator

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Mister G has conducted artist residencies at schools around the US and in many other countries (Mexico, India, England, Dominican Republic, Guatemala). He also leads professional development programs for educators and presents musical keynotes at conferences.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "16a Entrega Anual del Latin GRAMMY". Latin GRAMMYs. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  2. ^ "Chocolalala".
  3. ^ "Los Animales". Parents' Choice Foundation. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  4. ^ staff, Times. "Latin Grammys 2014: Complete list of nominees and winners". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  5. ^ "Parents 10 Best Children's CDs of 2011". www.parents.com. Archived from the original on September 26, 2012.
  6. ^ Moira E. McLaughlin (December 10, 2012). "Kids music that will take you on a journey". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
  7. ^ "There's No Crying in Music | Amherst College". www.amherst.edu. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  8. ^ "No name News | Berklee College of Music". www.berklee.edu. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c Parnass, Larry (December 6, 2012). "Valley's Ben Gundersheimer rocks world of children's music as 'Mister G". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  10. ^ "BUGS".
  11. ^ a b "Interview: Ben Gundersheimer (Mister G)". July 14, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  12. ^ "NAPPAawards.com". NAPPAawards.com. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
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