Greg & Steve

Greg & Steve are a musical group based in Los Angeles, California. The duo, composed of Greg Scelsa and Steve Millang, has been performing and recording children's music since the 1970s. Scelsa and Millang both perform as vocalists and guitarists.[1] They have recorded 18 albums, one music video compilation, and one live concert DVD.[2] Greg & Steve are marketed toward children from preschool age through primary school and have sold more than 4 million albums,[3] making them the best selling children's music duo in the United States.[4] They also have a rigorous concert schedule, playing an average of 100 shows per year[1] including venues such as Carnegie Hall.[5]

Scelsa and Millang, who have known each other since high school, moved from their hometown of Newport Beach, California to Los Angeles to "be closer to the music business" in 1968. They took jobs as special education assistants, and soon started performing music for the children, many of whom had emotional or behavioral problems.[6] They found that their music had a positive effect on children with disorders such as autism. For the next several years, they performed their music program for different schools.[5] In 1975, they decided to form a record company, Youngheart Records, and presented a recording of their music to National Association for the Education of Young Children convention attendees. After receiving a positive reaction at the conference, Scelsa and Millang formed "Greg & Steve" and began selling their recordings in the educational market.[1]

In 1991, Scelsa and Millang sold the majority interest of Youngheart Records to Creative Teaching Press and have expanded into internet and retail sales.[1] The expansion allowed them to begin selling their music in larger markets such as retailers Barnes & Noble,[5] and allowed them to focus on their music rather than on business tasks.[7] As of 2002, Greg & Steve have received nine Parents' Choice Awards.[8] In 2010, their album Jumpin' and Jammin was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children.[9]

Discography

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 McCormick, Moira (1996-06-22). "Vets Greg & Steve are still Rockin'". Billboard Magazine 108 (25).
  2. ↑ "Greg & Steve: CDs & Videos". Greg & Steve Official web site. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  3. ↑ Schoenberg, Nara (1998-04-24). "Greg, Steve plan fun for Toledo youngsters". The Blade (Block Communications).
  4. ↑ McKeel, Randy (2005-04-14). "Greg & Steve set for kids' museum". The Commercial Appeal (E. W. Scripps Company).
  5. 1 2 3 Heffley, Lynne (1994-05-09). "Greg & Steve: Educational pied pipers". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company).
  6. ↑ Heffley, Lynne (1994-05-09). "Greg & Steve: Educational pied pipers". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). [Their] educational roots go back to 1968, when Scelsa and Millang, after playing in rock bands through high school, moved to Los Angeles 'to get closer to the music business,' Millang said. To pay the rent, they found jobs in special education classes as teacher assistants where 'they would ask us to bring our guitars in and we would stop cleaning paintbrushes and start singing to the kids.'
  7. ↑ Norman, Jan (1990-06-30). "Book supplier buys record company". The Orange County Register (Freedom Communications).
  8. ↑ Neuhauser, Ken (2002-03-08). "Greg & Steve to perform". The Courier-Journal (Gannett Company).
  9. ↑ http://www.grammy.com/nominees

External links

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