Marsh Mud Madness

PreS-Gr 4—Parents' Choice Gold Award winner Roger Day continues his string of concept recordings with a DVD that focuses on the balance found in an ecosystem. Filmed at the Savannah Music Festival and the University of Georgia Marine Institute on Sapelo Island, Georgia, Day explores the flora and fauna of the coastal habitat. Opening with the boisterous "I Love to Study Mud," he moves on to songs filled with zest for crabs ("The Fiddler Groove," "Ghost Crab"), alligators ("Alligator Raiding My Refrigerator"), snails ("Periwinkle Snail"), and vultures ("Vulture Vomit"). Musical styles range from up-tempo ditties to laid-back ballads, each matching the topic of the song. For example, "Mosquito Burrito" is a mix of fast and slow interludes of smashing up, rolling up, and eating mosquitoes, while "Blackbeard" is an a cappella call/response story-song about the life and hidden treasure of the notorious pirate, accompanied by only percussion. Each number begins with an introduction by Day, then segues into a music video filled with clips of Sapelo Island meshed with concert footage of Day and an audience of school children. His showmanship is evident, and he gets the audience to participate with choreography they can do in their seats. This one is fun and educational at the same time.—Stephanie Bange, Wright State University, Dayton, OH