Los Angeles Kids to "Go Bananas" with a New Song from OSU Alum Monty Harper

May, 2004, Stillwater, OK. Los Angeles school children will soon learn healthy eating habits while hopping and bopping to music provided in part by OSU Alum and Stillwater resident, Monty Harper.

By June of this year, 11,000 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) teachers will receive copies of a compilation CD entitled “Fruits and Vegetables.” The project is the brain child of Beth Larsen of the LAUSD Nutrition Network and is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Stamp Program.

“One of the goals of this music,” says Larsen, “is to encourage teachers to use it for sponge activities, meaning a few minutes of break time in between lessons or classes. So, maybe in between reading and math the teacher will take 3-4 minutes to get kids out of their seats and move. Not only is that movement good for their bodies, but studies show that it is also good for their brains.”

Harper learned of the April 1 call for songs through an e-mail list at the beginning of March. “It was an awesome opportunity,” says Harper, “not only to maybe get paid and recognized for my work but also to do some kids some good.” So Harper cleared his calendar and got right to work, generating 20 or so different song ideas, of which he completed and submitted two titles: “Gimme Vegetables,” and “I Go Bananas.”

With the deadline looming, Harper turned to Tom Walker, his former professor in the OSU music department, for help. Dr. Walker’s Advanced Music Technology class made “I Go Bananas” a class project for one session. Class member John Howk added some electric guitar work to the recording. “John’s solo and the time spent there at the OSU Recording Studio really helped make this a standout piece,” says Harper.

“I Go Bananas” was one of only 25 songs out of 235 total submissions to make the first cut. Those 25 songs were evaluated by teachers, parents, kids, and others involved with the LAUSD Nutrition Network grant. A total of 293 judges helped select the final lineup. The CD will include seventeen songs by seventeen top children’s artists, including recent Grammy winners Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer.

The Fruits and Vegetables CD will initially be made available only to teachers involved in the LAUSD Nutrition Network grant, serving 300,000 kids in the district. Harper also plans to release both “I Go Bananas” and “Gimme Vegetables” as digital downloads available to the public through his website.

Harper graduated from OSU in 1992 with his masters in pure mathematics. He now lives in Stillwater with his wife and daughter and makes a living writing, performing, and recording songs for kids. For more information, visit www.montyharper.com.

The LAUSD Nutrition Network promotes positive, healthy attitudes towards fruits, vegetables and physical activity for pre-K through 12th grade students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. For more information, visit www.lausdnutnet.org.

Fruits and Vegetables Song Lineup

"Shine 'em Up!" - Terry Lupton, L.A.
"We Will Fly Across the Sky" - Art Halperin, NY
"Take Good Care of Yourself" - Fred Koch, Chicago
"Nature's Candy" - Simon Gwilliam, London (yes, as in England)
"Five A Day" - Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, Grammy winners from Maryland
"Gotta Eat More Fruit" - Lori Moitie & RJ Johnson, Hayward, CA
"Fruit Boogie" - Laura Freeman, Austin
"Put A Little Sunshine in Your Mouth" - James Coffey, Ft. Wayne, IN
"Eat A Rainbow" - Cindy O'Connor, L.A.
"I Wanna Eggplant" - Stephen Patman, London
"I Go Bananas" - Monty Harper, Stillwater, OK
"Tropical Fruit" - John and Kelly Fumo, L.A.
"Vegetable Wrap" - Noriko & Wayne Peet, L.A.
"Fruity Frambaloozie" - Shana Banana Smith, St. Pete, FL
"I'll Take Them Anyway You Make Them" - Stephen Bashaw, Franklin, TN
"Every Day of the Week" - Steve Lorentzen & Eric Pagan, L.A.
"Peppers" - Chris Buckley, London

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