Virtual Author Visits and Concerts

Now that distance learning has come to the fore, I have brought back my Virtual Author Visits and am adding Virtual Concerts to my program offerings. Perfect for school systems, library systems, as well as virtual and traditional classrooms, these budget-friendly live events run twenty-minutes and include a Q&A section for students and teachers to ask me questions.

In the Author Visit, I read several of my most popular books and talk a bit about the craft of writing for children to inspire children to read and write. In the Concert, I sing several of my most popular songs and talk about my passion of sharing various Louisiana music styles and cultural heritage with children. Book and song request as well as student questions may be sent in advance of the scheduled events. As with my live presentations, these programs involve audience participation to actively engage students in the learning process.

To read more about these exciting new programs, visit the Programs page on my website!

To schedule virtual programs, fill out the online booking request/quote form under Contact.

I hope to see you soon!

-Johnette

The Spanish Tinge: Louisiana Music Pioneers of Canary Islands Descent is published!

(Photo Captions: #1 Book cover, #2 Scott Billington, Johnette Downing and Eduardo Perez in the Ediciones Idea publishing office, and #3 Scott signing his very first published book to Carol Perez Nunez, the daughter of Irvan Perez.)

Scott and I are pleased to announce that our book (for grownups) The Spanish Tinge, Louisiana Music Pioneers of Canary Islands Descent was published in Spanish by Ediciones Idea in Santa Cruz, Tenerife. This is our first book project together, and we enjoyed researching and writing about the musical link between Louisiana and the Canary Islands, The book honors the legacy of three key Louisiana musicians of Canary Islands lineage: jazz clarinetist Alicide “Yellow” Nuñez; Cajun accordion player Joe Falcon; and décima singer Irvan Perez, and celebrates their contributions as pioneers of three forms of American music at pivotal moments in American music history.

The book may be purchased through the publisher Ediciones Idea.

We are deeply grateful to Jose Carlos Hernandez Santana, Carol Perez Nunez, Wade Falcon, Robert Nunez, Francisco Pomares, Eduardo Perez (Edward T. Riker), Greg Lambousy, Jonathan Cabrera Ascensio, David Kunian, New Orleans Jazz Museum, Melissa Smith, Bruce Raeburn, Alania Hebert, Michael Leathem, Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans Jazz Club Collection, Tulane University Hogan Jazz Archive, Music Rising, Charlene Bonnette, State Library of Louisiana, William de Marigny Hyland, Catherine Frank, John Hickey, Chris Strachwitz, Jimmy LaRocca, Miguel Angel Navarro Menderos, Wrenna M. Poirrier, Joseph D Poirrier, and so many others who helped us make this book a reality!

Swamp Romp Earns a Fids and Kamily Award!

The Best Kids and Family Music of 2019: 14th Annual Fids and Kamily Music Award Winners

It is time to announce the 14th Annual Fids and Kamily Music Awards, celebrating the best in music for kids and families from the past year. For more than a decade, we've tallied the votes of kids music experts across the country to name those albums deserving of highest acclaim.

This year's top spot goes to previous Fids & Kamily Award winners The Okee Dokee Brothers for their album Winterland. There are a number of other artists familiar to the winners' list as well as some Fids and Kamily newcomers making up the top 12.

You can listen to selections from the top 12 by listening to this weekend's Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child on the air or by streaming it on the show’s website starting Sunday evening.

The Top 12 albums of 2019 are (in order):

1. The Okee Dokee Brothers - Winterland
2. The Lucky Band - Buenos Diaz
3. Josh Lovelace - Growing Up
4. Sonia de los Santos - Alegría
5. Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could - Under the Big Umbrella
6. Renee & Friends - Kindred
7. Johnette Downing - Swamp Romp
8. Randy Kaplan - Shake It and Break It
9. Story Pirates - Backstroke Raptor
10. Alphabet Rockers - The Love
11. Andrew & Polly - Go For the Moon
12. Oran Etkin - Finding Friends Far from Home