We are proud and excited to announce that one of our Busy Izzy and Friends songs has won the 'Songs For Children' category in the Australian Songwriters Association National awards... with four others in the top ten.
This year, due to obvious reasons, the ASA awards were a virtual presentation and such a fabulous event it was. We have five songs in the top ten.
Congratulations to all the place getters and winners.
1. Who, What, When, Where, How and Why - This song is about Secret-agent Skye, who is a real private eye, and the lead character, Izzy's friend, featured in book four in the Busy Izzy and Friends series due for release in 2022.
Nix & Nax is the centre of Izzy's world. It's her little store underneath Izzy's home she shares with her parents. It's a special little place they sectioned off especially for their daughter.
Inside her store, is a book-nook with a big beautiful green comfortable chair where Izzy and her friends can sit and chat, have fun, make plans and share stories. Izzy's friends often come here if they find themselves with a problem too. Izzy is always there to help. She is kind and generous and wants her friends to be happy and feel confident.
Inside, there is storeroom, full of hidden surprises, which you can find out about in her books...
"Busy Izzy and Friends"
Dedicated Area for Kids On the Busy Izzy and Friends Site.
Download and colour in.
https://busyizzy.com - Click on 'KIDS'
My favourite game when I was five years old was to play "spot the difference" https://busyizzy.com/pages/spot-the-difference
Click on the link above to download a PDF to print out and play "Spot the Difference". There are 10 differences between the two pictures of Izzy, Max and Steven, building a swing. Can you find them all?
We even have lots of healthy recipes for you to try at home. Busy Izzy loves to make healthy snacks for her friends when they visit Nix & Nax.
The Busy Izzy and Friends Show
Much-loved story books, come alive from page to stage.
Every venue and primary school in NSW, Australia, can now book The Busy Izzy and Friends SHOW!
This action-packed show is a fun-filled adventure. Come and join us and help Busy Izzy and her friends save their local animal shelter.
The show features up-beat songs, a number of which have won Awards, interactive dancing and singing.
ABC Alphabet Song - Busy Izzy and Friends
This little video clip about the Alphabet now has over 90,000 views on YouTube.
The song is about the alphabet. The first few lines are
It's about reading and writing and how exciting it is to learn the alphabet. Busy Izzy also has a "see, say and sign" segment in the video clip too. Please feel free to click and subscribe and sing along with the song.
We have a cool little song about the alphabet. The first few lines go like this.
Welcome to the world of Busy Izzy and Friends, where you'll find fun and exciting videos, songs to sing, healthy recipes to learn and try. As well, you'll find real-time narration of the books from the series available at busyizzy.com and from online retailers. Who is Busy Izzy? Busy Izzy is a 12 year old girl who lives in Green Grass Grove with her puppy, Newly Truly, and all of her friends live nearby.
Busy Izzy...
ABC Alphabet Song
It's very exciting to see our little song get over 12 thousand views on YOUTUBE in a matter of days.
The song is a fun and energetic one about the importance of the alphabet.
"My 26 BFFs, are the letters of the alphabet.
Letter by letter, getting alphabetter with my 26 BFFs."
The Busy Izzy and Friends series is all about 'helping others', friendship, showing respect, kindness, mindfulness and learning through play. Also includes healthy recipes and lots of other fun activities. All the stories are written in rhythmic rhyme.
LET'S GET BUSY
Another pair of creative partners are songwriters and music teachers Roxanne Kiely and Stephen Kiely, the brains behind Busy Izzy and Friends, an ever-expanding multimedia empire of lively books, catchy songs, interactive videos and even a vibrant stage show for extra colour and movement.
They recently partnered with Prosper (Project Australia) to support the health and well-being of Australian children through performances, nutrition and cooking showcases, literacy and learning activities and other special events.
Colouring-in is such a fun activity. https://busyizzy.com/pages/download-drawings
You can colour in Busy Izzy and all of her friends too. Talkative Tess, Sensible Steven, Mathematic Max, Modern Mo Li, Worried Warren, Bossy Bobby, Secret-agent Skye, Even Evan and Izzy's adopted puppy, Newly Truly.
If you need to see the correct colour palette, follow this link: https://busyizzy.com/pages/busy-izzys-friends
"colouring in pages" #colouringin #BusyIzzyandFriends #funandgames #greatchristmasgiftideas #birthdaygiftideas
It was a very exciting day when Stephen Kiely and I, along with, Busy Izzy and Friends, visited Abbey Road in London. September 2018. There were many excited "Beatles" fans lined up to walk across that 'famous' crossing.
History
Innovating Music Since 1931. Abbey Road Studios is the most famous recording studio in the world and a global music icon. Originally a nine-bedroom house built in 1829, it was purchased by the Gramophone Company in 1928 who went on to build the world's first purpose-built recording studio.
The Beatles released their album entitled, 'Abbey Road' on the 26th of September 1969. It was recorded between 22nd February and the 20th of August 1969.
Its popularity is probably due in part to the album's success. The album debuted straight to number one in 1969, and is considered one of the greatest albums ever made by the Beatles. The recording studio EMI changed its name to Abbey Road, possibly as a direct result of its popularity.
I guess there are many authors like me, who sit in their studios playing solitaire. Surrounded in thought and ideas and writing away the day.
I don't usually join groups, but the Alliance of Independent Authors has features that suit me. I am looking forward to becoming more involved.
There are many member benefits, including support for:
1. Editorial 2. Design, including cover and interior 3. Formatting and other production issues, 4. Distribution, 5. Marketing 6. Promotion 7. Licensing and publishing rights
I was excited to upload my three picture books as all three books and songs in the series are "great gift ideas for Christmas and birthdays".
Stephen and I have been writing songs together for many years and we enjoy collaborating on the Busy Izzy songs. Our writing and recording sessions are always lots of fun. We bounce off each other very well. Sometimes I will come up with a melody or a lyric or both, and we’ll flesh it out together, or Stephen will present me with a variation which we’ll then combine. Sometimes it works the other way, with Stephen playing me a tune with a basic lyric, and I’ll have that in my head for a day or so before it sparks yet another idea. It’s an exciting process and we’re really happy with all the catchy songs we have written for Busy Izzy and Friends.
Have a listen to some of them:
Here: on our website, or
Here: on YouTube.
We have uploaded a new video!
Kids everywhere will love to dance and sing along to the ABC Alphabet Song.
Sing and learn the ABC with Busy Izzy and Friends. You can dance and sing the ABC Alphabet song!
Alphabet letters will become your 26 BFFs (Best Friends Forever).
Join all the kids as they dance, sing and learn their ABC's. Busy Izzy and Friends love to read and write with their 26 BFFs, all the letters of the alphabet and you're sure to learn your ABC's with this energetic and fun ABC Alphabet song!
My 26 BFFs.
Are the letters of the alphabet.
Letter by letter, getting alphabetter.
My 26 BFFs.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z. My 26 BFFs.
Quite often networking can seem to be daunting and overwhelming. However, networking can actually be enjoyable and beneficial if you remember these five simple networking tips.
This may seem like an unusual activity to undertake, but volunteering and networking actually go hand in hand. By dedicating your time as a volunteer, you make new friends, expand your network and boost your social skills.
Volunteering also provides you with renewed creativity, motivation and a vision that can carry over into your personal and professional life. By allowing you to help others while also helping yourself, it gives you purpose. It’s a win-win situation!
Excited to announce that songs from the Busy Izzy and Friends catalogue are now playing on Kinderling Kids Radio.
Listen to the "Welcome To Nix & Nax" album of songs.
The Busy Izzy and Friends songs are very popular with kids, teachers and parents.
Here is a quote from head teacher, Nazan Polat Principal Prestons Primary
"Dear Roxanne and Stephen, thank you for the wonderful incursion earlier this week. Our students and teachers loved it! The show and the songs were highly engaging and interactive and many meaningful messages in the story line. Thank you again and kind Regards".
The World Literacy Foundation is a global not-for-profit that works to lift young people out of poverty through literacy. Founded in Melbourne, Australia in 2003, the World Literacy Foundation operates on the principle that education is a basic human right. https://worldliteracyfoundation.org.
CEO, Andy Kay spoke of the relationship between the World Literacy Foundation and Roxanne and Stephen:
"On behalf of the World Literacy Foundation, I’d like to acknowledge Roxanne and Stephen for this wonderful series that they’ve developed. It’s really a privilege to be involved with it. I think it’s fantastic that they’ve decide to link the initiative with the World Literacy Foundation." says, Andy Kay.
Did you know that the blue light emanating from digital devices, can penetrate young eyes and may cause retinal damage?
This is because children’s eyes develop gradually, and they lack a certain filter that protects their eyes. Adults have protective pigments in their eyes that help prevent blue light exposure. Talk to your local eye care specialist about filtered lenses. These filter out blue light and provide protection for children's eyes. It is important to 'set time for screen time' for our young ones.
I have always enjoyed baking and especially making healthy snacks. Just like Busy Izzy does. She enjoys making healthy snacks for her friends, when they visit her at Nix & Nax. "Help yourself to my snaxalicious snacks", says Izzy to her friends.
Do you love to cook? I do and Busy Izzy does too. Busy Izzy's foods are healthy.
When my sister Elaine and I were really young, around 6 and 7 years of age, we would make huts at the back of our house on the farm. Sometimes, our dad would help us out by putting up old sacks to make walls for our hut. When the walls were up, Elaine and I would get busy, making mud pies, mud quiches, mud cakes... basically mud everything. It was lots of fun playing with mud.
