0:01:10 – Speaker 2
Greetings and welcome. Thank you to Embrace your Storm. My name is Jonathan Nadeau and today I’ve got an exciting episode for you. We are speaking with Ms Angel Monet and she has an amazing video series on teaching children music and connecting. You know what? Why should I bother telling the audience what she does? I’m going to let her do it honestly. So, ms Angel Monet, thank you for coming on the show. Thank you so much.
0:01:37 – Speaker 3
Hello, thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
0:01:40 – Speaker 2
It’s my pleasure. So you know what I started telling people about your video series. Let’s tell them a little bit about that and then let’s go into what brought you into kind of the music realm.
0:01:52 – Speaker 3
Okay, Well, I have a video series and it’s the Ms Angel Monet show and it’s all about lifting self-esteem, morals and values to the young I’d say young children, preschool to maybe age seven or eight and I do this through the use of puppets and inspirational motivational songs. A lot of the things are around you know self-esteem. I’m somebody special and I just want kids to know through these videos that they really are important. I want them to learn building tools that can help them succeed in life and to know that they’re really special, that they can do anything that they put their minds to.
0:02:52 – Speaker 2
Absolutely. And music is a powerful, I guess, vehicle, you could say, or medium to use, because you know there’s cartoons and there’s other shows to get kids’ attention. But honestly, like music and getting them to sing lyrics and getting them to kind of put that message inside of them, that way is a very powerful way of getting a message into children, you know.
0:03:17 – Speaker 3
Yes.
0:03:19 – Speaker 2
So like I guess speaking because I was talking before the interview and you’ve always seemed to like teaching younger children and things. So growing up as a kid you discovered music at a very early age. Do you think that has anything to do with kind of your? You know, you wanting to kind of reach kids at a younger age.
0:03:37 – Speaker 3
I’m sorry, I’m sorry say that again.
0:03:42 – Speaker 2
Because before we were talking, before the interview, and you were speaking about having been teaching for so long and you like teaching younger children and reaching them with music, you discovered music at an early age. Do you think that has anything to do with why you like teaching kids at a younger age? Because you discovered at a young age, you knew, like how impactful it was.
0:04:08 – Speaker 3
Yeah, definitely.
When I was, I say, around seven or eight, I began to slay by ear or like hear tunes from the radio and just try to play it, and that’s when my parents noticed I had a little talent you know that’s wow, this kid is a little different, you know, just playing stuff that you know there are no notes in front of her, you know what’s going on, you know, and I just know that at that age, you know it was soothing to get on the piano and play. It was comforting for me If I had any anxiety, you know, and I was a little busy kid, you know. You know it just calmed me right down, you know, with just hearing little tunes and trying to play them and it could be some of my favorite tunes that could have been commercials.
I remember one song back in the day. I am stuck on Band-Aids, those Band-Aids. Oh yeah, I remember that I mean I would hear that thing in my head all day, I would go to the piano and you know, pick out the melody and you know that kept me, you know, pretty balanced, I would say I hear you, I hear you, I mean that helped me so much as a kid, you know. I just want to pass that on to all the little kids today you know so in your videos that you do.
0:05:38 – Speaker 2
do you go into like music lessons at all, or is it more entertainment than educational?
0:05:50 – Speaker 3
Well, I would say it’s a mixture. I do piano lessons as well. You know. Talk about the keyboard and some of my shows and explain what it is I’m playing. So they get a little lesson out of that. That’s cool, but it’s all entertaining to try to get them engaged.
0:06:08 – Speaker 2
Yeah.
0:06:10 – Speaker 3
Yeah.
0:06:10 – Speaker 2
That’s very cool. That’s awesome.
0:06:12 – Speaker 3
And I also use puppets.
0:06:14 – Speaker 2
Oh, that’s cool. Yeah, now, did you play any other instruments scoring up? Or did you always stick with piano, or did you kind of venture out playing other?
0:06:25 – Speaker 3
things, mainly piano. I you know I took guitar lessons. I love the guitars well, but I don’t tell many people that because one time I somehow mentioned it to this lady that wanted her daughter to take less piano lessons. But the other daughter wanted guitar lessons and I told her I don’t really play like that to teach it.
0:06:45 – Speaker 2
Yeah.
0:06:45 – Speaker 3
And she just pulled my arm so much. In other words, she was like well, please, I don’t want to go all over town to take this one Right, Can you just teach her beginning guitar lessons Something? So I found myself teaching guitar Good at it, actually.
0:07:04 – Speaker 2
No, I you know I told I, I I was a guitar player and I, I, I got my car. So when I was 14 and I learned how to play guitar after that and in high school I started taking music theory classes and we had to play kind of kind of had to play piano to do ear training and all that and after I played kind of played pianos.
Like man, I wish I would have played piano first because, I feel like if you can not necessarily master piano, but if you can play it, I feel like every, every other instruments kind of like downhill in a sense. So I told all my kids, like play piano first. And one out of five listened. So you know right. But yeah, I just wish I would have played piano for it. It’s such a versatile instrument, it’s so amazing, it really is.
0:07:56 – Speaker 3
Yeah, I love the piano and of course I told my kids they have to play piano before any other instrument. You know exactly, so they both started on piano and they’re. One is a drummer and the other is a bass player.
0:08:09 – Speaker 2
But well still, at least you got to play piano.
0:08:13 – Speaker 3
Yeah, they know piano.
0:08:15 – Speaker 2
Did you ever? Were you ever to any bands or anything like that?
0:08:18 – Speaker 3
I was actually in high school, we were called the mighty quintet and we used to travel around town and we actually opened up for some traditional gospel big names back, you know, in the south. Yeah yeah, that was really exciting.
0:08:34 – Speaker 2
That’s cool. So how well, there’s five. You’re right, you said quintet.
0:08:37 – Speaker 3
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’ll call the mighty quintet that’s cool.
0:08:40 – Speaker 2
That’s all. So how will you then? That must have been exciting.
0:08:44 – Speaker 3
I was. I was 16, 15 or 16.
0:08:48 – Speaker 2
I think no kidding. Yeah, I was really excited then.
0:08:53 – Speaker 3
Yeah, that was very exciting.
0:08:55 – Speaker 2
I bet your parents never would have thought that they’d seen that day right. Probably not. Yeah, well, so that’s cool. So you really been surrounded by music, your your whole life. It seems like like that’s awesome that you’re able to find that creative outlet, Like because we were talking before. Just you know, I believe everyone’s got their creative inkling and it’s cool to see that you really found yours and found a way to kind of like live and express your life through this, this creativity. So it’s really cool what you’ve done.
0:09:30 – Speaker 3
Thank you.
0:09:33 – Speaker 2
So is there. I’d like to hear more about that. Your video series, though, like if you if the same thing you want to say about them or, you know, talk about the website and stuff, but because it seems like you’re putting all of your effort into this and, honestly, having everything digital now is a much easier way to reach a lot more people and, honestly, you know you can scale, scale yourself flat easier digitally too.
0:09:57 – Speaker 3
Yes, yes, the videos are, you know, I think it’s, you know, up and coming. It’s something new that I’m doing, but it’s, like I said, it’s all about just trying to have kids and just be able to see something that they can engage, you know, and I can engage with them through the videos, even though they can watch it whenever they want, you know, as if I’m there with them, you know, and I’m like their auntie or somebody. You know, I hear what you’re saying, miss Angel Bonet, you know, I hear you. No, I hear you.
0:10:36 – Speaker 2
No, I get that because my kids will talk about YouTubers now, which is crazy, you know, but they’re just like, they feel so connected to them. I’m like wow, it’s kind of when we were growing up watching TV, we wouldn’t have felt like, oh, I know whatever this person in this TV show, like you know, in the 90s or 80s you wouldn’t have felt that connection. Both people on YouTube, you feel like you just know them more, you know.
0:11:01 – Speaker 3
Right, right.
0:11:02 – Speaker 2
So I totally get that connection of what? You’re saying you mentioned, so you mentioned the puppets. Do you have like like certain main characters and stuff?
0:11:10 – Speaker 3
I do. I have beautiful. She’s one of the characters and she’s a little sassy but very positive, you know. And then we have Boogie the Bear. He’s a teddy bear, you know OK. And then we have Cindy, and then we have Sammy the dog.
0:11:33 – Speaker 2
Now, do you do like certain voices, for all of them?
0:11:36 – Speaker 3
Yeah, that’s the silly side of me.
0:11:38 – Speaker 2
That people don’t know. You know, hello everybody.
0:11:43 – Speaker 3
How’s everybody going today? This is beautiful.
0:11:47 – Speaker 2
Hey everybody, I’m Boogie you know, I cracked my self. I hear you say when does come from? You should probably just kind of hit record on your phone and just like let it run, you know.
0:12:05 – Speaker 3
You know, but I love to laugh and I like to see the smiles on little kids’ faces, you know.
0:12:11 – Speaker 2
Do you do like live shows too?
0:12:13 – Speaker 3
I do live shows as well, yeah.
0:12:14 – Speaker 2
That’s cool, so like like kind of like an auditorium, kind of setting and stuff or whatever.
0:12:20 – Speaker 3
I’ve done auditoriums, I’ve done outdoor festivals and park. I’ve actually do that every year.
0:12:27 – Speaker 2
Wow.
0:12:28 – Speaker 3
And so, and then I do you know even daycares, you know so, a little small, you know, or good room to accommodate it. You know six classes or more, you know.
0:12:39 – Speaker 2
Yeah. So, do you control all the puppets yourself too, If you got like four or six of them or whatever?
0:12:46 – Speaker 3
I do and it’s kind of comical, you know. You know I take multitasking to the highest, you know.
0:12:56 – Speaker 2
Because I’m thinking maybe four or six puppets You’re playing music. I’m like you got to be. That’s a lot going on.
0:13:03 – Speaker 3
A lot going on. And then I’m doing the voices. I got one hand with the voices of the puppet, you know, one hand playing the bass, you know, oh, my, Wow, I can’t see, and that’s I might, boggles my mind. And I got all these voices going on. So I have to, my mind has to have to really be focused, you know?
0:13:27 – Speaker 2
Oh no, 100 percent. Yes like absolutely.
0:13:31 – Speaker 1
So, like.
0:13:32 – Speaker 2
So you write a lot of new material with all, with all your characters and stuff.
0:13:35 – Speaker 3
Then I do, and we improv as well. You know something like that’s cool. Or if it’s a live virtual show and a kid says something, or you know, I love that pretty outfit they have on. Beautiful Might say, wow, you look beautiful, that’s like me.
0:13:50 – Speaker 2
You know something like that. That’s cool, that’s cool.
0:13:54 – Speaker 3
Yeah, yeah.
0:13:56 – Speaker 2
How do you feel like kids do with like virtual, like live virtual stuff, Like do you think they it’s as good as like an actual live show?
0:14:09 – Speaker 3
Well, I’ve been told that my shows are good.
0:14:12 – Speaker 2
Well, I’m sure your shows are good, but I mean, do you think kids can kind of like grasp everything they would? Because you know, when you’re doing something live and you’re in the scene, it’s just something about it, you know what.
0:14:22 – Speaker 3
I’m saying oh, yeah, yeah, definitely.
0:14:25 – Speaker 2
Yeah, so is it? Do you think kids react to it just as strongly? Virtually.
0:14:32 – Speaker 3
I think, virtually, they do react strongly. That’s according to what the teachers have told me, okay, and what I can see.
0:14:41 – Speaker 2
Yeah.
0:14:41 – Speaker 3
But of course you know, in person you can do so much more, because then you can see everybody. Yeah, yeah, and then I can interact with everybody.
0:14:49 – Speaker 2
Yeah.
0:14:49 – Speaker 3
Like virtual. It depends on how they have the camera set, you know.
0:14:54 – Speaker 2
I know.
0:14:55 – Speaker 3
So it depends on a lot with virtual, but I mean I can still make it, you know strong, where I can still engage with them, and vice versa. You know, see, happy birthday, and the kid will stand up and come to the camera. And I love it when there’s a birthday and the teacher will say, well, could you wish Johnny a happy birthday today?
0:15:13 – Speaker 2
Okay, all right.
0:15:14 – Speaker 3
Out of the. You know, he’s so surprised. And then you know, and then I’ll, you know, spotlight him and I was like, oh hey, johnny, it’s your birthday and then the puppets will chime in and they’re talking about Johnny’s birthday and he, just, he just smiling. So I don’t know what to do with that, you know right right. You know. So we all get singing, I get the kids singing, and this is all virtual, that’s cool, that’s cool.
0:15:42 – Speaker 2
Now, do you have? Do you have any things like musical, like Spotify or anything like that?
0:15:47 – Speaker 3
I do, yep, I have the whole soundtrack of Jack’s world.
0:15:51 – Speaker 2
That’s cool.
0:15:52 – Speaker 3
I’m using some of that music that’s on Spotify and Amazon and iTunes.
0:15:57 – Speaker 2
Okay, and some of the other ones, but some of the stuff they do at these shows. None of that stuff is like on Spotify.
0:16:03 – Speaker 3
Yeah, some of them yeah, okay.
0:16:04 – Speaker 2
Okay, all right, all right, that’s cool.
0:16:05 – Speaker 3
I’m actually some of the newer ones. I’m actually just getting on Spotify.
0:16:11 – Speaker 2
That’s cool, that’s very cool. So do you have like a little studio at your house to record all your stuff?
0:16:17 – Speaker 3
I do. Yes, I have a home studio so I’m able to record most of my stuff here. Yeah.
0:16:23 – Speaker 2
Do you use like Pro Tools?
0:16:25 – Speaker 3
I use Pro Tools. Yeah, nice yeah.
0:16:27 – Speaker 2
What a day in HB11. I mean, again, I’m dating myself, but I can remember, oh so long ago, having like a four track recorder. Oh yeah, you know, recording on a cassette tape, you know, and yeah, I did that. But it’s like doing stuff on computers now just a whole nother and like everyone can do it now in their house. It’s crazy, Uh-huh.
0:16:46 – Speaker 3
Yeah, I still have my four track. Then I moved to the eight track, the task cam eight track.
0:16:52 – Speaker 2
Exactly, I was in the heavy metal band. We thought we were geniuses because we would take the four tracks and bounce them down to one. So we put all the drums. You know, kind of on one track and we would do all kinds of stuff. But yeah. Oh man this is so cool. So now give the website. Where’s the website, they can go to define your videos.
0:17:19 – Speaker 3
You can go to enaeproductionsinccom and it’s spelled I-N-E-T. Productionsinccom. Sounds like I-Net, but it’s pronounced E-N-A, I-N-E-T, productionsinccom.
0:17:33 – Speaker 2
Yeah, See, I was going to say innate, but I was like that’s, that wouldn’t be right. Cause I saw you’re doing the thing with the eight, but I couldn’t figure out how you were pronouncing it.
0:17:41 – Speaker 3
Mm-hmm, yeah, that’s it.
0:17:44 – Speaker 2
So you also can be booked for, like live shows and virtual shows also on that same website, right?
0:17:50 – Speaker 3
Yes, yes, we’re really pushing the virtual shows, but for people like we’re setting up a tour right now which may be out of state, but mostly it’s virtual that we’re pushing, but I am doing it in person as well.
0:18:09 – Speaker 2
Awesome. That’s very cool. I appreciate your time so much. It’s amazing what you’ve done, to see what you’ve done with music, and I’m glad you found your creative outlet at a young age. So anyone listening, if you have that creative itch, whether it’s music or drawing or whatever it might be, go to tornadoorg. You can find us and ask questions. We’ll guide you in the right place. But embrace your store and find that creative itch. And again, thank you, ms Angel Moe, for coming on. Thank you so much.
0:18:42 – Speaker 3
Thank you.
0:18:43 – Speaker 2
Everyone have a great day. Thank you for listening and downloading. Embrace your storm.
0:18:51 – Speaker 1
Tornado with Jonathan Nadeau. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe now. See you first to hear new episodes with more stories of inspiration about the highs and lows of life and how embracing the storm is so much more fulfilling of a life than being crushed by the weight of the world. And until then, we hope you’re inspired to do something, whether it’s creating, participating or learning, whatever leads you to your personal passion.
