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Angela's Bio

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. 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.

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, CTA - California Teachers Association, NHSA - National Head Start, 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. Her titles are represented by school suppliers such as CM School Supply, Kaplan Early Learning, School Specialty, and Sportime. 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," 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 are scheduled for release in the June of 2008 by OurRainbow Press.

Angela has 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 the title on WIC's behalf, and a 2nd "healthy kids" campaign, funded by a $20,000 grant is currently in the works.

Women, Infants & Children

In early 2007, the Louisiana Office of Public Health supplied 25,000 "Have Fun and Be Active" DVDs to WIC families at the STATE level. The initiative was for their fight against childhood obesity entitled, "Fit Kids. Healthy Kids."

 

 

Office of Head Start

 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 2˝ day training events throughout 2007 and 2008.

fruits & veggies: More Matters

 In the fall of 2004, 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, and “The Fruit & Veggie Race” nutrition board game (for ages 3 and up) were released in late Spring 2005. Both the music CD and the game are available online and through the www.5aDay.org catalog.

The majority of the music being used in the 2-million dollar University of Tennessee "Team PLAY (Positive Lifestyles for Active Youngsters)” initiative comes from AbridgeClub.com titles. The grant is funded by the State for a 5-year clinical trial that began mid-January of 2007 and focuses on improving nutrition and physical activity behaviors in families.

Fisher-Price Toys - Your Source for Playtime Ideas

 "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.
          Up, Down, and Around "Smart & Tasty 1" was selected by the Pennsylvania Public Library system to companion a book entitled, "Up, Down, Around" for the 2008 world-wide "One Book" project.  "One Book" projects are community-wide reading programs that were initiated by the Library of Congress's Washington Center for the Book in 1998.