The Rhythm Child Network

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Imagine if Bob Marley, John Lennon & Otis Redding held a family music festival on Sesame Street. This is the kind of atmosphere created with every gathering of The Rhythm Child Network, a family oriented Entertainment Company promoting positive music and world culture for kids.

Formed in 2003, The Rhythm Child Network uses music, drums & percussion to stimulate and foster the creative flow within young children.  Award-Winning Children’s Music Artist & REMO™ Endorsed Drum Circle Facilitator Norman Jones encourages creative expression and cultural exploration through drum circle workshops, interactive music education classes and family concerts.  By creating an environment that uses the drum as a vehicle for building confidence, communicating positive messages and encouraging group dynamics, Rhythm Child helps children connect with their own inner rhythms. 

“Norman has a way of entering the heart of every child through his music.  His ability to promote children’s creativity is endless.”

Michelle Gathrid (Preschool Director @ Circle of Children)

Rhythm Child’s upbeat style featured on their Drum Circle Sing-A-Long CD merges primal grooves with classic children’s melodies to create a fresh collection of songs offering a soulful alternative to the way children hear and understand music.  Originally released in 2003, Drum Circle Sing-A-Long has been a finalist in the Children’s Music Web Awards for Best CD (Preschool) and includes the award winning Best Songs (Preschool) “Bird & the Dragon” (2004), “Learn From Nature” (2005), and The John Lennon Songwriting Contest Grand Prize Winner “Jammy Put On” (2005).  “Bird &The Dragon” was also a Finalist in the 2006 John Lennon Contest.  Two songs from the CD spent a collective 37 weeks on XMKids Radio Top Ten in 2007 proving that Rhythm Child’s music is still relevant to today’s market.

 “I have listened to the Rhythm Child CD so many times I feel like a back up singer!  Most of the kid’s CD’s out there are painful for adults to listen to and after going to one of Rhythm Child’s shows and seeing the positive response my four boys had to their music, I had to buy the CD.” Jennifer Hamm (Parent)

In an on-going effort to help incorporate rhythm into a child’s daily life, The Rhythm Child Network website www.rhythmchild.net features music, instruments, clothing and information that help teachers, parents and caregivers provide more opportunities for stimulating musical involvement.

Rhythm Child family concerts and drum workshops are interactive performances that include the instruments, the instruction, and the opportunity for everyone, regardless of ability, to express themselves in a fun and spontaneous way.  As the lead drummer of Rhythm Child, Norm provides a steady and flowing groove that makes it easy for others to join in and play along. This “player friendly” environment allows for everyone to become involved without pressure or fear.

“Of all the family music concerts LACMA has presented over the years, this one was the most successful in terms of being the most interactive for children and highly engaging for adults”.  Karen Satzman, Manager of Family Programs @ LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)

After 25 years of singing, writing and performing, Norman’s ability to connect to an audience is his strongest asset. From the college audiences that danced to the reggae music of his 80’s touring band Crucial DBC, to the die-hard followers of General Public who responded to his contagious positive energy in the early 90’s, and finally to the thousands of families currently listening to the soulful sounds of Rhythm Child, Jones has always had a way of making everyone feel part of his world.

“My main objective is to make kids feel confident in expressing themselves,” he says. “I think it opens up their minds to other cultures and the diversity of our world.”

Norm Jones (Founder of Rhythm Child)

Heather Jones, Norm’s wife and business partner, is the other half of this dynamic family operation.  A UCLA graduate with a degree in English Literature and an entrepreneurial spirit, Heather is the guiding force behind the entire network.  Her diligence in positioning Rhythm Child as a family oriented business operating with a strong, progressive, and professional attitude has placed the Los Angeles based company respectfully among the elite of the Southern California early education and arts communities.  As a mother herself, she understands the varied needs of Rhythm Child’s audience and is an integral part of the company’s direction and appeal.

 Their sons Bailey (8) and Andre (3), having grown up surrounded by music, rhythm, and creative expression, are now prime examples of the influence that Rhythm Child can have on young children. Both have a firm understanding of music through their own discovery and are able to present themselves with uninhibited confidence.  When they step on stage at a Rhythm Child concert, they possess such a commanding presence that other children also become encouraged to participate in the music.

The overwhelming number of studies showing positive effects and benefits of music and rhythm in relation to children has left many parents searching for new ways to increase their child’s musical exposure at an early age. There are a variety of different ways in which a child may approach music; the drum interaction provided by Rhythm Child allows freedom for all of those different possibilities to be expressed.

“At their events, I’ve watched many babies discover and explore the world of sound and seen just as many, if not more, parents reawakened to the power of music and movement”

Madrona Casey (Parent)