Everyday Explanations One of the most important things in any socially and ethically aware community is to create art that reflects the values we would most like to see in our children. Children learn so much from the media they are exposed to from the time they are born. Music in particular has a wonderful power to impact these children in a very uplifting way. I have seen this time and time again in my work with the preschool students at Temple Solel, with the kindergartners at Pardes Jewish Day School and with the other students, teachers and parents that I have had the privilege of working with over the past couple of years. The songs on this album are meant to appeal not just to the children, but also to the adults in their lives. I wanted to create music that would speak on many different levels, because let’s face it – we can all use reminders from time to time about what is truly important in life. Each song on this album represents a different Jewish value taken from the book “What’s Jewish About Butterflies” by Maxine Handelman and Deborah Schein. The values illustrated in each song are as follows: 1. Rise Up – Jewish Time (Daily Rhythms) 2. The Rainbow Song – Ma’aseh Bereshit (Works of Creation) 3. Everyday Blessings – Kedushah (Holiness) 4. One People – K’lal Yisrael (All Jews Are One People) 5. The Greatest Gift Of All – Gemilut Chasadim (Acts of Loving Kindness) 6. Welcome Song – Hachnasat Orchim (Hospitality/Welcoming Guests) 7. Looking For God – Hoda’ah (Appreciation) 8. Tend Our Garden – Bal Tash’chit (Do Not Destroy) 9. Crayons – Kavod (Respect, Honor) 10. Open Heart – Ahavah (Love) 11. God Is In The Air – Kavanah (Intention, Concentration) 12. Aleph Bet Rock – Education I hope that you enjoy the music and that it enhances and supports the values in your child’s and your own life. We are all blessed every day, as long as we keep our eyes open to appreciate the world around us. L’shalom, Todd Herzog December, 2008 About Todd: Todd Herzog is an artist who takes the raw material of life experiences and creates soulful, spiritual, acoustic pop music along the lines of John Mayer, Jason Mraz, and Marc Cohn. Todd has worked with some of the top songwriters in the world, including Burt Bacharach, Dave Koz, Craig Taubman and Harriet Schock. His music and voice have been featured in television and film in shows such as The Young & The Restless, All My Children, One Life To Live, Who Wants To Marry My Dad, The Osbournes, and Melrose Place. Todd has been a featured performer at the URJ Biennial, the ECE-RJ Biennial, CAJE, and Hava Nashira. He has been profiled in Chosen magazine, NBC's Arizona Midday Show and many other media outlets. Todd has been an Artist-In-Residence at the JCC Maccabi ArtsFest and with several of the day schools in the Phoenix area. He continues to impact the Jewish community and beyond with his message of bringing together religion and spirituality and uniting people in a common purpose. Todd's Proverbs album takes quotes from the Bible and other philosophical texts and puts them into a modern context, making this wisdom accessible to a wider audience. On his Bridging The Gap album, Todd features unique versions of traditional liturgy as well as songs that capture the spirituality found in everyday moments. Todd’s latest release is a children’s album entitled Everyday Blessings, which is based on the wisdom found in the book, What’s Jewish About Butterflies? This recording contains songs that relate to children from preschool age and above and also to the adults in their lives, sharing spirituality and Jewish values for all ages. Please feel free to visit Todd Herzog’s website at: www.toddherzog.com to learn more about the music of this talented, creative, and special performer. His goal is to bring people together and move them to higher levels of understanding – to truly make a difference in communities across the country and around the world.