FunikiJam World Music was founded in Nashville in 1999 by Brian Barrentine to meet the growing need for quality family entertainment and education. Now operating from NYC headquarters, FunikiJam has evolved into an international arts organization with over 70000 annual patrons. Built upon a foundation of Barrentine's original rhymes, stories and songs, FunikiJam encourages fun, learning and global community through music and video production, touring live shows, Off-Broadway musicals, and year round classes for newborn & up. Barrentine began his singing career at age 6, Wrote his first book at age 7, and started staging neighborhood parades, plays, and festivals at age 8. Today? He pretty much does the same thing. Plus some touring and acting. From Southern churches and classical concerts to the concert halls of Europe and Nashville's Ryman Auditorium - From the Country Music Hall of Fame, to Manhattan's Marble Church and at Le Cirque, Brian thrives in many genres including jazz, broadway, standards, country, gospel, rock & roll, and pop. Along the way, he deveopled a keen interest in early childhood arts education, so he devotes much of his time and energy to creating and producing the FunikiJam troika of World Music tour, Off Broadway Family Musicals and weekly music & movement classes. He also serves as professor of Early Childhood Arts at New York University. You might recognize Brian as a "Dad" "Husband" or "Law enforcement official" from numerous national commercial campaigns and television shows like The Good Wife, Madam Secretary, Law & Order SVU, Perfect Murder and more.. Joining AEA and SAG as a teen, SIGNATURE STAGE ROLES include Captain Jam: FunikIJam World Music Tour, Elvis; Elvis the Musical Eurpean Tour, El Gallo: the Fantasticks American Masters Festival, and Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. HOBBIES include travel, fitness and art. TREASURED MEMORIES painting with Howard Finster in Paradise Gardens, directing the Gilmer High School choirs from Ellijay, Georgia to a Smoky Mountain Music Festival Championship singing and dancing through high shool at Six Flags Over Georgia hippy dippy years at Benningon College. dodging underwear tossed onstage in ELVIS the musical feeling hip and unstoppable while founding FunikiJam in Nashville UPCOMING PROJECTS: Do the Swim! Summer Vacation Tour with FunikiJam Wolrd Music Musical Mondays: Jazz at Le Crique NYC Untitled Album with producer Joe Mazza SHENANIGANS! picture book with Janet Lee