Jammin' Randy

“Dig Into Reading – How can anyone not like this song? This is one of the best children’s songs that I have ever heard. And this is clearly not the first song these writers have ever written. I assume this was co-written as it is so polished and effective. It sounds as if there were multiple ideas filtered and included in this. From the opening instrumental melody, it appeals to your happy senses. At 43 seconds, the song is already through the verse and the chorus which nails the attention span needs of its audience, kids. It talks about ice cream, pie and cake which certainly makes kids listen (and this adult as well.) Then it briefly mentions a book at the end of the first verse. The chorus nails it with “Dig Into Reading.” Not only is it a great message, but the delivery and “singability” of it is as good as it gets. Although I love this, please take of advantage of this and pitch it to groups who support reading initiatives, it would fit their missions perfectly. Great ”
- Roy Elkins, Dallas Songwriters Song Contest (Sep 23, 2013) - Roy Elkins

Entering a song-writing contest on a whim resulted in an unexpected trip to Hollywood for a Hays teacher.

Randy Sauer -- vocal music instructor for students at Holy Family Elementary School, where he directs the sixth-grade band -- also writes children's songs and plays at various venues as a one-man band called "Randy's Music Jam."

He thought entering his song, "Dig Into Reading," into the Indie Music Channel Awards contest for independent musicians was "a good way to make connections."

It turned out to be more than that.

Sauer, invited as one of five finalists to the awards ceremony in Hollywood, was named the overall winner in the children's music category in this, the third year of the contest.

When Sauer first learned about the contest, he said he thought he would give it a whirl.

"I thought I'd enter one song and see what it's all about," he said.

Sauer started learning a lot more about the contest in March when he was notified he was a finalist in the children's song-writing category.

Whether or not he would have won the top prize for his entry, Sauer said it was well worth the trip for him and his wife, Niki.

He said he met several musicians from other countries, some of whom were entered in numerous categories. There are 21 categories in all, ranging from blues and classical to country and folk and gospel, jazz and rock.

"My wife said, 'You get to writing more songs, so we can go again next year,' " Sauer said. "I definitely will enter more next year."

The Indie Music Channel award was the second honor this school year for Sauer, who last fall was named outstanding elementary educator in the Northwest District of the Kansas Music Educators Association. - DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN

BY AUSTIN KOELLER
Hub Staff Writer
KEARNEY — Adults and children alike are encouraged to get up and dance at a show Tuesday.
Musician Randy Sauer, known as Jammin’ Randy, will perform at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kearney Public Library at 2020 First Ave. The event is being held as part of the library’s summer reading program and is free to attend.
“I encourage movement and dancing,” Sauer said. “I have a new song on my new CD called ‘Hop Hop Shake.’ It starts off with the boys doing one action and the girls doing another action. It has a part for the adults as well. I try to get adults involved by dancing. A big part of getting everybody involved is making the adults feel like they can get up and dance around with their children.”
Sauer is a music teacher by day and has been teaching for 26 years. He said he often wrote songs for his classes. Eight years ago, parents and students encouraged him to tour and perform his songs.
“Originally, it started out more as educational-type songs,” Sauer said. “I then started doing songs for fun with a lot of movements and actions. It has taken off from there.”
Sauer does 30 to 40 shows a year at venues such as libraries and schools. He balances teaching and performing by doing most of his shows during the summer and doing weekend shows during the school year. Sauer is no stranger to Kearney, having performed previously at Kearney Public Library and the Kearney Area Children’s Museum.
“I’ve had great response every time I’ve been there,” he said. “I had good crowds, the kids were always polite and they enjoyed singing and dancing.”
Kearneyites may remember Sauer under his show’s previous name, “Randy’s Music Jam.” At the beginning of this year, he changed his show’s name to “Jammin’ Randy” after speaking with a Grammy Award-winning children’s artist upon submitting his children’s album for Grammy Award consideration. Sauer said the artist suggested he change the name to something easier for kids to say.
“The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it is kind of a long thing for children to say,” he said. “When I went to my shows, most of the kids called me ‘Jammin’ Randy.’ I thought that rolled off the tongue a little nicer so I decided to shorten it up and call it ‘Jammin’ Randy.’ It sounded more appealing to children and adults.”
Sauer said he is passionate about teaching kids to be kind, to treat each other with respect and not to bully others. He said he tries to incorporate these lessons into his songs.
“I teach kids to just be themselves and to be positive,” Sauer said. “I do some of my kindness songs at my shows as well to teach the kids to be kind to one another, not to pick on each other, not to tease and stuff like that.”
Sauer encourages kids to move around to the music and have fun during his show. He said his favorite thing about performing is seeing the children’s responses.
“I really enjoy seeing the kids light up when they really enjoy a song or they like dancing to it,” Sauer said. “It’s just touching the children’s lives. That makes my day when I see kids enjoying what I do.” - Kearney Hub

Speaking of children's music from all over the place, Kansas-based Randy Sauer (Jammin' Randy) recently released his new CD, BE KIND (and yes, the title track does end with "Rewind"). A longtime music educator and award-winning teacher, Randy's guitar-twanging tunes have them rocking in the great plains. There must, I mean must be children's music everywhere and especially live music. His original compositions delighted his students. Smash-cut to 25 years later and Randy performing throughout Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.

Rap has completely infiltrated the heartland, as evidenced by "Hip Hop Shake." Guest vocalist Natalie Metcalf delivers soothing vocals to the elementary-school ballad "I Need a Friend." Any Nick Lowe fans out there? "Cool to be Kind" is a title that harkens back to days of Rockpile but delivers a positive message about doing the right thing. Having just written about the Crazy Frog, I'm sure that "Rusty the Robot Gets Fit" is one of the best ways to use vocal distortion to get kids to exercise while driving parents up the wall.

Inspiring kids, creating a love of music, and promoting values are the holy trinity of kindie music. Randy Sauer has spent a lifetime, in-school and independently, delivering on those promises. The least I can do is draw some attention to his activity and his music.

BE KIND is available from Randy's website and iTunes. - Mr. Jeff

pdated: Nov. 17, 2019, 12 a.m.

The Great Bend Public Library once again proved librarians know how to party, especially when the theme is reading. Saturday morning, families with young children arrived mid-morning to celebrate the end of another successful USD 428 Reading Initiative with a Barnyard Bash fit for the Little Red Hen herself. Elementary schools sent representatives to man booths in the library basement where youngsters visited to take part in games, crafts, and hands-on demonstrations revolving around the themes of the book, “The Little Red Hen.”

There was painting with feathers, handprint chicken paintings, a chance to make a chicken squawker out of a paper cup, all courtesy of USD 428 elementary schools. The Central Kansas Christian Academy shared a card-based memory game, and take-home instructions to make a quick and easy loaf of bread courtesy of Cottonwood Extension. Helping Hands Preschool brought activity centers filled with grains for children to scoop, spoon and pour into containers. And Luna the service dog was on hand, eager to listen as children shared stories from a basket filled with barnyard themed books.
On the main floor, the Guthrie family set up a portable chicken yard so visitors could pause and visit with an assortment of several varieties of chickens close up. Kan-Equip brought a large and a small tractor, set up at the northeast corner of the parking lot, and librarians invited families to stop for the photo-op before heading for home.

Probably the most fun for all was the concert provided by Jammin’ Randy in the Children’s library Saturday morning. He had kids on their feet, dancing and pretending to be animals, smiles on their faces and excitement in the air.

Children’s librarian Amy Mahill said Randy has visited in the past, and is always a popular draw. When the library joined forces with the school district for the reading initiative, the award-winning popular children’s music artist from Hays was a natural addition, she said. - Great Bend Tribune