Neag Center Home Page | News & Views
West Hartford, CT (May 18, 2006—In the 50 commendations bestowed by the Parents' Choice Foundation last week, one of the 4 Gold Awards in music went to Nancy Tucker's Escape of the Slinkys.
Produced by A Gentle Wind in Albany, NY, the CD is for children ages 6 and up, and contains 20 zany selections with clever titles such as "Frank Stein," "The Laffy Dullabye," and "Bees Knees." Three of the songs can be viewed on a computer as part of a DVD component, a bonus not generally found on CDs.
Tucker is a former biology teacher who became a songwriter-singer-comedian. On learning of the honor, she said, "I'm tickled pink to be a recipient of this prestigious award. It's the Bees' Knees!" She actually talks this way.
In 2004, she won an Indie Award for her outstanding achievement and exemplary dedication to the independent music industry. That same year, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award by the 2,000-member Connecticut Songwriters Association. She took first place honors in the 2002 Connecticut Comedy Festival, and has appeared in a Connecticut Public Television special, at the Bushnell's Ha!Ha! Hartford, as a headliner, and in many one-woman shows. Currently, she is at work on her 30th anniversary show, scheduled for this fall.
Tucker made a mid-career shift from successful singer-songwriter-guitarist to award-winning musician-comedian. Her humor, which has been compared to comedian Stephen Wright's, is based on life's absurdities.
An accomplished guitarist, Tucker has written and recorded several CDs and has been called "a one-woman fun festival."
Established in 1978, Parents' Choice Foundation is the nation's oldest nonprofit consumer guide to quality children's books, videos, toys, audios, computer software, television, and magazines. The Foundation administers the Parents' Choice Awards, the benchmark of achievement in children's media. Identifying the best products for children of different ages, backgrounds, skills and interests, The Parents' Choice Awards program recommends products that help kids grow imaginatively, physically, morally and mentally. These are fairly priced products that are fun, safe and socially sound.
The Parents' Choice Awards Committees consists of parents, teachers, performing artists, librarians, and kids.
President of the Parents' Choice Foundation, Claire Green said, "Parents' Choice Award winning musicians share a common bond; they know what it takes to grab and keep a child's attention. Those who write original songs deliver intelligent, inventive lyrics; they craft and tell a captivating story, in words and music. They create magical worlds that kids believe—and want to live in—if even for only a few minutes. Their stories and songs may be imaginary; their creativity and talent is anything but. Those who perform traditional songs do so with a fresh approach and a personal imprint. Serious or silly, the material is delivered with a respect for the audience and the medium."
For more information on Nancy Tucker and her music, contact: www.nancytucker.info and A Gentle Wind at www.gentlewind.com .