Gina Samardge: Links

Orff-Schulwerk Association: Composer Carl Orff developed an approach to teaching children how to create music through movement, speech, singing, playing percussion instruments and improvising. This wonderfully creative approach to teaching music empowers and challenges children (and their teachers) to think outside the box and take music to a new level.
Gooney Bird Kids: Gooney Bird Kids has a radio program with kid friendly music. They have a great assortment of artists that they play and I am one of them!
Boston Children's Music: Here is a great resource for Children's Music and for events in the Boston, MA area. Check them out! They listed me as "Must Hear Music" for my new album, Together.

Groups I Have Performed With

Maestrosities: This is one seriously funny band I play with. You should seriously come check us out sometime. Seriously.
Howling Moon Cab Company: I performed the role of Zaida in Jonathan Wallace's "Pawnshop Accordions" at the Fringe Festival 2008. Check out some of my reviews on my Press/Reviews page.
VOICETheatre: This is the first theatre company I performed with when I came to the city.
Main Squeeze Orchestra: I play with these wonderful women. Check out our monthly residency at Mo's!
Kendall Cornell's Soon-To-Be-Famous Female Clown Troupe: I have had the pleasure of working with Kendall for the past 3 years. She runs great clown workshops!
Red Metal Mailbox: Red Metal Mailbox is a New York based company that creates investigative performance by linking original text with a highly physical aesthetic. Our work has been presented at The Chocolate Factory Theater, Dixon Place, P.S. 122's Homeroom, Dance Theater Workshop's 40 Forward, and Galapagos Art Space among other venues in NYC, as well as at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival and the Metcalf Experimental Theater in Illinois.

Places Where I Lead Sing-a-longs

Terrace Dance Studios: I am leading sing-a-longs and teaching a music and movement class for toddlers and their caregivers.
Root Hill Cafe: This cafe is a new venue for me beginning Feb. 09. Very cozy place with great food!
The Coffee Den: I play at the Coffee Den once a week doing children's sing-a-longs.
Perch Cafe: I lovely cafe in Park Slope. I am leading sing-a-longs this summer on Mondays.

Parents in My Sing-a-long Community

Gwynne Duncan: Gwynne is a wonderful artist in the area and mother to one of my students.
Kyoko Kitamura: Kyoko is a fascinating vocal improviser and musician. Check out her group OKOK as well.
Identical Strangers: Could you imagine finding out in your mid-thirties that you had an identical twin you never knew about? How about the fact that your separation was facilitated and directed by the adoption agency as part of a twin study? Paula Bernstein, a mother of one of my students and a writer, and her identical twin sister have published a memoir on the journey that followed this discovery. Beautifully written and so full of humanness, I have not been able to put it down.
Connection Works: This is a non-profit that a couple of my friends have started. The mission of Connection Works is to engage the Brooklyn community with a cultural center featuring the performance, presentation, development, and education of music and art.
Loving Lamposts: Todd and his wife Erika, other parents in my sing-a-long community, are amazing parents to Sam and through their research into what is best for him, have discovered the neurodiversity movement. This movement looks at autism as something that requires treatment, but also as part of who a person is instead of something that needs to be cured. As you can imagine, there is a lot of tension between the neurodiversity movement and the movement to cure autism and Todd has begun making a documentary about this. The film is being funded through grant money and through private donations. Donations are tax deductible and feel good to make! Even if you are unable to donate, please check out the site and pass it on to other people or organizations who may have an interest.

Resources for Parents

Go City Kids: Here is my listing in Go City Kids for Birthday Parties. You can find tons of fun activities to do here in the city as well.
NYC Doula and Family Photographer: Brooklyn mom, Mary Catherine Hamelin, is a family photographer, doula and all around wonderful person. Contact her for more info.
Good Child Workshops: Another Parent in my sing-a-long community offers these workshops entitled: Good Child Workshops: Overcoming The Biggest Barrier To Teaching Children Desired Behavior Check it out!
Center Herself: Jenny Lorant is a Licensed Massage Therapist who helps women reconnect to themselves through bodywork. She also teaches infant massage!
McCool's Ice Cream Parlor: Great place for birthday parties, or just for a sweet treat, if you are in the Madison, NJ area.
Brownstone Nannies: Sharon Tepper runs a referral service for nannies. She and her daughter, Hazel, attend my sing-a-longs.

Other Musicians and Artists

COLOR:GRAY design: This is phenomenal web designer I know. If you are looking, check him out!
Mark Marshall: Mark is a fantastic musician, producer, teacher and also happens to be a good friend of mine.
Ellis Gaskell Photography: Ellis did the promo shots for "Pawnshop Accordions," a Fringe Festival play I performed in this past summer.
Alan Friend: Alan is a wonderful old time banjo player who performs, gives lessons and teaches workshops around the country. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to old time music and ballad singing.