Banana Slug String Band (BSSB), formed in 1985, is a children's band based out of Santa Cruz, California and are self-described as "Environmental Educators".[1]
Banana Slug String Band | |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Members |
|
| Website | www |
They focus on live performances at schools assemblies and music festivals. As of 2015, they were playing as many as 150 shows a year performing with costumes and as characters to deliver their environmental messages to children. The Slugs have performed at festivals including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, and Strawberry Music Festival.[2]
History
editBSSB formed in 1985 after meeting at a nature camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The four founding members (Doug "Dirt" Greenfield, "Airy" Larry Graff, and "Solar" Steve Van Zandt, and "Marine" Mark Nolan) were teachers and performed music together for the students and sing songs related to the what they had learned that day at camp. Later, the group developed deals and created performances that they began performing at school assemblies and other venues.[3][4]
BSSB has partnered with many groups in their career, including 30 different ocean conservation organizations that helped fund their album Only One Ocean and they continue to perform at school assemblies.[5][6]
They've released 12 CDs, along with live recordings.[1][7]
As of 2019, they still consist of the original four band members.[8][1] They have won three Parents' Choice Awards, most recently in 2011 for Only One Ocean, along with other awards.[9][10]
Related acts
editLarry Graff is also a member of Painted Mandolin, a Grateful Dead cover band.[11]
Other ventures
editDoug "Dirt" Greenfield is a faculty member and program director for Venture West School of Outdoor Living and Exploring New Horizons, and has designed and led outdoors science camps in Northern California.[12]
Discography
edit| Year | Title | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Dirt Made My Lunch | |
| 1989 | Adventures on the Air Cycle | |
| 1991 | Slugs at Sea | |
| 1995 | Penguin Parade | |
| 1999 | Goin' Wild | |
| 1999 | La Tierra Y El Mar | |
| 2002 | Singing in Our Garden | |
| 2004 | Wings of Slumber | Guest musicians: George Winston and Laurie Lewis[13] |
| 2008 | We All Live Downstream | |
| 2011 | Only One Ocean | Winner of a 2011 Parents' Choice Award[14] |
| 2019 | Pollinator Nation |
References
edit- ^ a b c "The Band". bananaslugstringband.
- ^ "BANANA SLUG STRING BAND | Strawberry Music, Inc". strawberrymusic.com. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ Gilhooley, Andrew (2005-03-10). "Musical science". The Salinas Californian. Salinas, Calif., United States. pp. –6. ProQuest 436306966. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ Bland, Thyrie (2002-04-22). "Eco-band is down to earth". The Clarion Ledger. Jackson, Miss., United States. pp. –1. ISSN 0744-9526. ProQuest 873471100. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ "Hot Topics". November 11, 2015.
- ^ "Dirt Made My Lunch". Baker City Herald.
- ^ "Banana Slug String Band". Banana Slug String Band.
- ^ "Santa Cruz's beloved Banana Slug String Band marks 30 years of entertaining kids and changing lives". November 11, 2015.
- ^ "Banana Slug Band-Free Children's Concert". Napa Valley Register.
- ^ "The Michigan Alumnus". p. 29.
{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help) - ^ "Painted Mandolin: A journey through the music of Jerry Garcia". The Union: News for Nevada County, California. 2019-01-03. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ "Doug Dirt Greenfield | Faculty Member | Esalen". www.esalen.org. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
- ^ Heffley, Lynne (2005-05-05). "Mister Rogers' love and legacy live on". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ "Only One Ocean".
External links
edit- The Banana Slug String Band- Dirt Made My Lunch music video
- Banana Slug String Band official YouTube channel