The Songs For Kids Band! teams up with Kevin Morby, Hello Biplane, and CS Luxem Aug. 13 at Granada

The Songs For Kids Band! // photo courtesy the artist

Started in 2007, the Songs For Kids Foundation began as a way for kids with “illnesses, injuries, and disabilities” to perform music, something which might not have been available to them due to their circumstances.

In addition to mini concerts within hospitals, Songs For Kids also does bedside performances for those kids unable to leave their rooms.

The Songs For Kids Band! is “an ensemble of kids and young adults with disabilities and illnesses in the Songs For Kids Foundation mentorship program.” Emphasizing the power of teamwork and bringing together kids who might otherwise be on a “solitary journey,” the group of six musicians embarks on a weeklong tour starting Monday, August 11, at the Basement in Nashville and ending on Friday, August 15, at Field Of Vision Music Festival in Buena Vista, Colorado.

For their initial stop, Dr. Dog drummer Erick Slick will sit in with the band. The St. Louis performance sees them performing in the lobby of the Wilco show at the Factory, and their final show is presented by King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. At the halfway point, the tour stops at the Granada on Wednesday, August 13, where they’ll be joined by Kevin Morby, along with performances by Hello Biplane and CS Luxem.

“Kevin is a legend in Kansas and we’re honored he’ll be joining us!” says Josh Rifkind, Songs For Kids Foundation’s founder and executive director. “Eric Slick is one of the world’s greatest drummers. Wilco was so kind to let us take part in their show, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have been so good to us–we did a big production together last year. We’re kicking off their brand new festival!”

A tour, even as short as this, isn’t without its challenges for kids with illnesses and injuries, but Rifkind says they’re fully prepared.

“We are traveling in a big ADA bus and doing everything we can to make sure everyone is as comfortable as possible along the way,” he explains.

The songs performed by The Songs For Kids Band! are chosen by Rifkind and one of the other leaders, Weston, says the founder, explaining that it would have been easy to do “easy” songs, but they wanted songs that challenged them. Given that over the years, the band has performed with artists as diverse as the likes of Goose, the String Cheese Incident, My Morning Jacket, and the Backstreet Boys, just that genre-hopping could be challenging.

“It’s a very eclectic set list,” continues Rifkind. “Some of the songs are subtly pretty complicated but the kids really dug into their parts and found the heart of each song. It has taken quite a bit of work, but it’s amazing to see how far the songs have come!”

The kids and young adults are all part of the Songs For Kids Foundation mentorship program, where “kids are able to be kids,” with the Foundation nurturing and developing their love of music throughout the year, serving “hundreds of kids and their families each year, completely free of charge.”

This incarnation of the band features six kids, who have each been with the Foundation for many years, Rifkind says.

“They range in age from 9 to 25 and they are all so wonderfully unique,” exults Rifkind. “We’re watching these extraordinary young people grow up!”

The Songs For Kids Band! with special guest Kevin Morby performs with Hello Biplane and CS Luxem at the Granada on Tuesday, August 13. Details on that show here.