My 'Magination

Pobba | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 8, 2002)
• Original Release Date: May 8, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Spigot
• ASIN: B00006AG3V
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #642,676 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Pobba was recently interviewed by his alter-ego, Steve Cotler, retired educator, scientist, screenwriter, and banker.

Steve Cotler: Why do you write and sing children's songs? Pobba: As a kid, and still today, I love those "discovery" moments when children find something new. I put those moments in every song and then watch the faces open up with surprise and laughter.

SC: How did you get started singing? Pobba: I grew up around music. My father was a cantor. He couldn't walk from one room to another without breaking into song. He'd pass Mom in the hall, sing out, "I'll be loving you always..." and then make a sandwich.

SC: You're a grandfather...and "My 'Magination" is your first album. What took so long? Pobba: I started writing rhyming stories for my own children in 1975. My brother Doug, a Grammy Award-winning composer, put music to some of them, but we were just too busy on other projects. The children's songs stayed within my family...in a file drawer. Years passed. I continued to write songs. Then I became a grandfather...that should explain it.

SC: Where did the name "Pobba" come from? Pobba: My kids call me Dad, Pop, and Poppa. Then the last name morphed into "Pobba"...and I liked it. I hope the name "Pobba" connotes warmth and a good sense of humor, because that's who I am.

SC: Whom do you admire? Pobba: Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss for their writing and art, Frank Loesser for his words and music (is there a better Broadway show than "Guys and Dolls"?), Danny Kaye for his antic performance, Maury Wills for base stealing excellence, and my five children for letting me express myself as a parent.

SC: How do you say your name? Pobba: "Pobba" should be pronounced to rhyme with Jabba the Hutt. Say PA-Bah, not POOH-Bah or POE-Bah. If you're from Boston, however, I guess it’s okay to say Pa-Ber.

SC: Tell us about your music. Pobba: I consider it a privilege and an obligation when parents invite my music into their children's lives. For that reason (and because I remember how much fun being a kid can be), these songs do not talk down to kids. All the songs on "My 'Magination" were originally written to be picture books or videos. Every song tells a story from a child's point of view. Funny, stimulating, and different, these tunes, as the CD title announces, encourage imagination, visualization, and participation. --The title song, "My 'Magination," sets the tone. It encourages listeners to explore imaginary possibilities. --"Making Dinner" is a child's desire for culinary self-actualization...and a parent's worst nightmare. --"The Worst Day of My Life" lets kids see that even if "every single thing went wrong, wrong, wrong," the day can still turn out great if a little love is added. --"Marshmallows" is a participatory counting song, with an irresistible opportunity to yell "yuk!" --"I See What I See at the Sea" is a trip to the beach...interpreted as only a child could. --"PB&J" makes the inevitability of stickiness synonymous with being a kid. Mothers know all about this. --"I'm Proud to Be Me" was a song I first heard when I was four. It was on an album entitled "Little Songs on Big Subjects" (out-of-print for decades). Its title says it all. --"Buttering Bread" celebrates all those kids who like what they do even if it doesn't look like what everyone else expects. --"If I Had a Pet" tests parents with a child's request for a primate, an insect, a marsupial, and a fish. --"Wonderful World" is a medley of two tunes that celebrate how great life can be. Snippets from the song Louis Armstrong made famous are wrapped around another song from "Little Songs on Big Subjects." --Every parent has heard why kids don't want to go to bed. "I Don't Sleep Anymore" takes the explanations to imaginative heights...and ends the CD on a restful note.

SC: One last question--Has anyone actually prepared the meals described in "I'm Making Dinner"? Pobba: I hope not!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great music for kids and their parents, December 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: My 'Magination (Audio CD)

Like most parents with kids ages 3 and 6, I'm an expert on contemporary culture (music, TV, video) for younger kids. There's a lot of junk out there (a CD featuring the voice of Barbie?!?) But Pobba's catchy, upbeat songs are not trying to sell anything but imagination, exploration, and pure fun. Like Tom Paxton or Shel Silverstein, Pobba is a true original -- hard to find these days. We're looking forward to the next album!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good songs, but the delivery is lacking, August 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: My 'Magination (Audio CD)

Pobba's songs are well-written and colorful, but they'd frankly be better if sung by someone else. Pobba just doesn't seem to have the kid-friendly delivery that one finds with, for example, The Wiggles. I'd like to see Pobba hand his little gems over to someone else. Nothing personal, but I want what's best for my kids' ears.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars my kids love it, September 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: My 'Magination (Audio CD)

My 3 girls (ages 2, 4, and 6) all went bonkers when they heard this cd...it is slowly replacing Raffi's Baby Beluga as their favorite...