November 28, 2000
Calvert grad' nominated for Nashville Music award
By Cathy Willoughby
Staff Writer
The presence of her children, and the absence of good, instructive music, prompted a Calvert alumnus to create her own songs.
Mimi Lange-Johnston, a 1981 Calvert graduate and current resident of the Nashville area, teaches music at the preschool which her daughters, Hannah and Haley, attend.
A collection of preschool songs that she wrote and produced, "Circle Time Songs for Toddlers and Preschoolers,'' is nominated for a Nashville Music Award. The award is presented annually to writers and producers of musical products in 32 categories, including jazz, country, classical, Christian, children's and pop album, as well as awards for individual musician, singer, songwriter and producer of the year.
Lange-Johnston's background and experience as a performer and song writer provided the impetus for Sharri Frazier, owner of the babies Oh My! preschool, to approach her to produce a recording of children's songs.
"We sat down together to talk about what skills the preschool should be able to provide for the kids,'' Lange-Johnston said.
They consulted kindergarten teachers to help determine what they would like incoming youngsters to know.
"They were things like following directions, having good manners, having basic socialization skills,'' she explained. "Along with that were academic things like learning shapes and opposites.''
The recording is based on the supposition that it could be used in a 30-minute music class.
"It's circle-time oriented,'' she said. "At first they all do a song, that would be 'Sing Your Own Song.' Then we go into interactive, high-energy songs. And we get back down on the floor and learn opposites, shapes, and then there is a cooling-down song at the end.''
Lange-Johnston said she has no trouble finding her "child within,'' getting just as involved in the music as do the children she teaches.
"I have my shoes off and I'm down on the floor with them,'' she said. "I get them so riled up, they have so much energy, and then I have to send them back to the teachers. It would be so unfair if I was not able to corral some of that energy.''
The cool-down songs featured focus on pretending to be an animal and on a goodbye song.
Also featured on the "flip'' side of the compact disc is the instrumental accompaniment to the previous roster of songs.
"The kids can listen to it as background music,'' she said as the reasoning for its inclusion. "And if the teacher has musical ability, she can sing the songs herself.''
After writing the lyrics and recording a couple of the songs in a studio, Lange-Johnston decided to do the rest of the songs live. The response to the album has been remarkable, she said.
"We had prayed about it and said, 'If it was Your will, show us and provide us with the resources,'' she said. The album already has won a Director's Choice Award in Early Childhood News, a preschool trade publication, and the Parent's Choice Award.
"It was originally written for teachers,'' she said of the collection. "Yet so many parents are busy, with 10 or 12 hours between their commute and work, they don't have the time and energy to come up with creative ways to entertain their children. If they are given the tools, they can sit down and play.''
The help of Cyndi Hammond -- a friend since the second grade at St. Joseph Elementary -- brought the artwork for the album and an accompanying spiral bound book to life. The friend, now Cyndi Bellerose, lives in Columbus.
"We always said if there was something we could do together, we would,'' Lange-Johnston said. "We needed artwork for the cover and when the idea came up, she was just the natural person. She had so many good ideas, especially with the books, that she will probably be involved in some degree in some other projects.''
Lange-Johnston also writes pop and country music and has had songs recorded by Ronna Reeves (with Peter Cetera), Kate Wolf and Mike Brandon. While awaiting news on the future of her recording, Lange-Johnston received word that she has a new career which is to start soon.
She recently was hired to head the children's music division of a Christian media company, Restore Virtue Inc. She is to help in the vocal training and development of young artists, showing them that they can be successful performing thrilling music without compromising their values.
"It will be sort of an antidote to the amorality and lack of values in society today,'' she said of her vision for the company's future. "These are the potential role models for our youth. We want to show them that you can be a great singer and that their music can still be as current and as fresh as anything out there.''
Besides coaching the young potential stars on their vocal and other music skills, she is to work with them on proper dress -- show them that they can be stylish, wear their own style and still dress modestly.
"If we can get them in the preschool years, instead of trying to portray Britney Spears or other entities,'' she added, "we can teach them good cultural values early. And that they can do it without being preachy and still be cool.''
Lange-Johnston said a large community of people is behind the company's goals, as well as some government officials.
"The goal is to restore Christian values, even though it does not have an overt Christian message,'' she said. "We hope to get the kids who have a chance to make it, and to have their lives go in a positive direction.''