Chris Molla is an independent composer, musician and educator who has been working with young children since 1990. While working on a bachelor's degree in music at the University of California at Santa Cruz, Chris co-founded the band Camper Van Beethoven. As a member of C.V.B. he recorded albums, toured widely, and enjoyed the status of a college-radio cult figure. After this little taste of stardom he left the band, finished that pesky B.A. degree, and went on to earn a master's degree in music composition at Mills College in Oakland, California, where he studied with such heavy hitters as Anthony Braxton and Robert Ashley.
It was shortly after finishing at Mills that he stumbled into his first teaching job at an elementary school, and discovered that it was just the thing to do! Since then, Chris has taught at elementary schools and preschools throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and has studied Orff-Schulwerk with Doug Goodkin, Sophia Lopez-Ibor, and James Harding; practitioners of international reputation. All the while remaining active as a performer and composer in various ensembles, and as a solo artist. He lives in Taos, New Mexico
ALL MUSIC GUIDE (www.allmusic.com) REVIEW: (****1/2) Former member of Camper Van Beethoven Chris Molla and a crack band of roots musicians convened for this set of rootsy adaptations and originals with kids in mind. Molla has a warm, folky voice and his songs are clever and cute, like the instructional "Chores" and "Cat Box Song," a psychedelic ode to the responsibility of pet keeping. Woody Guthrie's Dance Around" and an adaptation of Dave Alvin's "Mr. Lee" retitled "The Yo-Yo Song" make for a perfect children's introduction to Americana music. The entire record is not only bearable, but enjoyable for adults with a sense of humor and a young heart."
-Denise Sullivan
"Our entire family enjoys Chris Molla's CDs. His music is a delight for both children and parents - we wouldn't take a driving trip without him! The songs and melodies are infectious. With the playful words and strong rhythms, our children love to sing them out loud."
-Kate Kelly, television news anchor, San Francisco, CA
"Chris Molla has both the charm and the talent to appeal to both the young and the young at heart."
-Pacifica Tribune
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