NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Parents of toddlers everywhere, prepare yourselves. and music teacher Ms. Rachel and her husband, Aron Accurso, will release their debut album, the 23-track 鈥淚’m So Happy,鈥� on Sept. 25.
鈥淢usic is such a wonderful way for people to bond, for parents to bond. I know from the minute my kids were born, we鈥檙e singing to them,鈥� Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, said.
Ms. Rachel launched her mega popular YouTube channel in 2019 with her husband, known online as 鈥淢r. Aron.鈥�
鈥淚 am a music educator, so I get excited about kids hearing a real clarinet on 鈥業cky Sticky Bubble Gum鈥� and kids getting excited about hearing more real instruments,鈥� said Ms. Rachel.
But that isn’t the only education they’ll get A song like 鈥淚 Could Be Your Friend鈥� gives kids a script for bolstering their social skills. 鈥淲e鈥檙e always thinking about all kinds of kids, whether they have disabilities, whether they鈥檙e autistic,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e just want the world to feel like it鈥檚 helpful to all children and the musical worlds as well.鈥�
The songs aren’t limited by genre, either. Take the single 鈥淚 Love a Rainbow鈥� as an example: It’s a big bossa nova number. Their take on the classic 鈥淥ld McDonald鈥� leans bluegrass.
鈥淢usic is at the heart of our show,鈥� added Aron Accurso. 鈥淎nd so, we鈥檝e always wanted to release the music and have families experience the music away from the screen.鈥�
Big arrangements and simple songs
鈥淚’m So Happy鈥� was co-produced by Accurso and Scott Riesett and principally arranged by Accurso. He reimagined a number of Ms. Rachel’s fan favorite songs and childhood classics with a team of 19 vocalists and 42 instrumentalists.
鈥淚t鈥檚 songs that people know from the show, but we decided to expand them and elevate them with new arrangements and reproducing them,鈥� Aron Accurso explained. 鈥淚t was a process of, you know, looking at them and saying, 鈥極K, what else can we do to this to make it sparkle more? What can we add to it? What does it need to be on the album?鈥欌��
He says they most hope that the album will inspire 鈥渓iving room dance parties, because that鈥檚 what we love with our children,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e love to put on an album and dance around.鈥�
An album next to advocacy
Ms. Rachel has made headlines over the last few years for using her social media platforms to advocate for global humanitarian crises, with particular attention given to the plight of children in Gaza by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Most recently, she shared comments about the mysterious death of in Mississippi, a case shadowed by the state鈥檚 fraught racial history and lingering distrust in law enforcement.
鈥淲e know the investigation and everything that followed would have been different if Nolan Wells were white and his friends were black. Nolan and his family deserve justice,鈥� she wrote on Instagram.
Ms. Rachel says she knows her album may bring attention to her advocacy and vice versa. 鈥淚 view myself as an advocate for children鈥檚 rights so anytime they鈥檙e being violated by anyone anywhere, I want to be speaking out,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want families to be happy and safe and healthy, and I think that鈥檚 a wonderful thing. So, if it鈥檚 brought up with the album, that鈥檚 great.鈥�
‘I’m So Happy’ Tracklist
1. 鈥淚鈥檓 So Happy鈥� 2. 鈥淚 Love a Rainbow鈥� 3. 鈥淚cky Sticky Bubble Gum鈥� 4. 鈥淧honics鈥� 5. 鈥淗op Little Bunnies鈥� 6. 鈥淐aterpillar鈥� 7. 鈥淯p and Down鈥� 8. 鈥淏ubble Pop鈥� 9. 鈥淲alkin鈥� at the Zoo鈥� 10. 鈥淥pen Shut Them鈥� 11. 鈥淚 Could Be Your Friend鈥� 12. 鈥淚 Listen to My Body鈥� 13. 鈥淭he Wheels on the Bus鈥� 14. 鈥淒ino Play鈥� 15. 鈥淧op Those Bubbles鈥� 16. 鈥淥ld MacDonald鈥� 17. 鈥淚f You Should Meet an Elephant鈥� 18. 鈥淐ounting to 20!鈥� 19. 鈥淏-I-N-G-O鈥� 20. 鈥淟obby Loo鈥� 21. 鈥淏ig Feelings鈥� 22. 鈥淭ogether鈥� 23. 鈥淚 Love You to the Moon鈥�
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