BIOGRAPHY
Angela Russ-Ayon, owner of AbridgeClub.com and Russ InVision Company, is a nationally recognized, award-winning singer-songwriter, children's book author, trainer, keynote speaker, performer, and producer of interactive & educational children’s media. Her specialty is engaging young children in interactive song and dance using fine & gross motor activities that promote imaginative play and bridge educational gaps. She uses lyrics that children can clearly hear and understand, and music that entertains both adults and children. Her style is eclectic, using diverse rhythm and vocals with multi-ethnic flavor. During production, she works closely with colleagues and professionals in the field of child development and physical fitness. The time she spends in front of children either performing, participating in city programs, in preschools, and in school districts gives her the perfect hands-on testing grounds for her music prior to production.
The Abridge Club guest singers include Tim Russ (Tuvok of Star Trek: Voyager), Ethan Phillips (Neelix of Star Trek: Voyager), Robert Picardo (The Doctor of Star Trek: Voyager), Josephine Russ, Michael Russ, DeJohnn Porch, and child singers Jisel Ayon, Marcos Ayon, Madison Russ, and Sophie Morrison.
Angela has presented her music and movement concepts for state & national childcare, child care food program, preschool, gymnastic, and teacher’s associations. Her goal is to boost the level of creativity for educators working with young children. Using a PowerPoint style lecture, with an infusion of 6-8 activities, she has dazzled attendees at NAEYC - National Association for the Education of Young Children, State AEYCs, State Food Programs, CTA - California Teachers Association, NHSA - National Head Start, Early Head Start, First 5, Child Care Agencies, USA Gymnastics, and at many other educational conferences. Angela presents independently, as well as, on behalf of school suppliers, and is recognized by school districts for the educational and bi-lingual value of her songs.
Angela is a voting member of The Recording Academy®. Her music has been featured in publications such as Early Childhood Today, Early Childhood News, School News, and Los Angeles Magazine. She has received awards from ChildrensMusic.org, the Parents’ Choice Foundation, the National Association of Parent Publications (NAPPA), and Early Childhood Today’s Directors’ Choice. After competing with over 10,000 entries, Angela's witty rendition of "Everybody Has to Potty," on the "Smart Songs 2" CD was an International Songwriting Competition - Children's Category Finalist.
Angela has authored two children's picture books that promote healthy living for families with young children. "We Love the Company," illustrated by Irina Mirskaya, is about the importance of dining with family and friends. And, "We Eat Food That's Fresh," a 2009 Moonbeam Silver Literary Award winner, illustrated by Cathy June, focuses on the many attempts made by a whimsical chef to get children to try a new fruit or veggie. Both books were released in the fall of 2009 by OurRainbow Press.
Angela has consulted on, and produced music for the "Feel the Love. Feel the Power. Enjoy Physical Activity Breaks," DVD funded by Kaiser Permanente. The motivational songs in this DVD encourage everyone to eat more nutritious foods, grow foods in the garden, eat together as a family, drink tap water, watch less TV, breastfeed, and take physical activity breaks together. The DVD is broken up into 2-3 minute physical activity breaks. Angela also consulted on, and produced music for, the Telly Award Finalist video/DVD production of "Have Fun and Be Active" for First 5, WIC, and Head Start. The DVD is designed to encourage families with young children to keep active. Over 50,000 have been distributed to health service agencies and families nationwide. AbridgeClub.com is the sole distributor of both titles on WIC and Kaiser's behalf.
Selections of Angela's music are also being used in the National Head Start Bureau's "I am Moving. I am Learning" (IMIL) active children campaign, which is designed to prevent childhood obesity by improving the quality and quantity of exercise in the classroom and encouraging daily wise nutrition choices. IMIL was created in response to regional and national trends toward childhood obesity. The project was designed to fit within the Head Start Performance Standards and the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework through enhancements, chosen by the individual Head Start program, to current teaching practices by providing more focused guidance on quality movement, gross and fine motor development, and child nutrition. Additionally, IMIL goes beyond the classroom teaching practices to enhance the approach family service workers take with Head Start families in the area of movement and nutrition, as well as, in the approach Head Start health staff takes in working with children and their families. IMIL uses a train-the-trainer model with directors and their management teams attending a 2½ day training events throughout 2007 and 2008.
The Produce for Better Health Foundation (National 5-a-Day, More Matters, team) commissioned Angela to produce entertainment for young children that promoted healthy eating and physical activity. The “Smart Fruit & Veggie Songs” music CD for young children, “The Fruit & Veggie Race” nutrition board game (for ages 3 and up), the "Fruits and Veggies Makin' Faces" - Card Game, and the "We Eat Food That's Fresh" picture book for young children all appear in the PBH "More Matters" catalog, and are available online and through the www.5aDay.org, or fruitsandvegetablesmorematters.org, catalog.
"Caterpillar Conga" from the "Bugsters Tunes and Tales" CD was chosen by Fisher Price® in the fall of 2006 to be featured in the on-air commercial that launched their Kid-Tough FP3™ Player. The Kid-Tough FP3™ Player is a real digital player designed to be used and dropped by preschoolers, and is the first of its kind. Parents can also download "Bugsters" songs and stories onto the player from the Fisher-Price® FP3 Song & Story Online Store.
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