ZooKazoo Kicks Off Summer Concert Series Featuring All-Original Pop Music From Yet-To-Be-Discovered Stars of Tomorrow

Business Wire,  June 24, 2008  

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PALO ALTO, Calif. -- American kids will be anything but idle this summer thanks to kids' site ZooKazoo.com, which is kicking off its Summer Concert Series on June 27 and 28, from 6-10 p.m. EDT each day. Held inside Club Stylus, a DJ-hosted dance hall within ZooKazoo's animated urban world of Hiphopolis, the virtual series features the music of yet-to-be-discovered artists, many of whom are under the age of 18.

"We're thrilled to present the stars of tomorrow to our Kazoobians and Zelfs, who will have fun listening as well as dancing and socializing to outstanding original music," said David Dwyer," COO of ZooKazoo. "This historic online event is in keeping with ZooKazoo's mission of giving kids an opportunity to express themselves creatively. Not only do we expect to hear great things in the future from our initial featured musical acts, but we hope to inspire our young members to create and share their musical talent as well."

ZooKazoo is a safe, cool and fun online adventure destination that encourages social and creative girls and boys ages 6-12 to express themselves and receive recognition for it, while helping to make the world a better place. Its reliance on user-generated content makes ZooKazoo unique among other online worlds designed and inhabited by kids.

Introducing the ZooKazoo Music Stars of Tomorrow

The inaugural ZooKazoo Summer Concert Series features music from the following roster of young talent:

Girl Authority: "This is My Day" and "Rhythm of the World"

Girl Authority is a group of tween-age girls with a passion for performing! They're just your average, normal kids who live at home, go to school, hang out with friends, and pursue a variety of different activities. They also happen to make hit records and perform concerts across the country.

Groovy Ruby: "Change"

Think Beatles meet the Go-Go's... in grade school. This New Jersey based band comprised of five girls, none older than 12, sings all original hooky-groovy-feel good tunes that send a positive message to all who listen. A fresh alternative in kids music, Groovy Ruby has just completed their sophomore CD, Strong, Lovin', and Fun. The group performs regularly throughout the New York and New Jersey area.

J-Roc: "Life of a Kid" and "Ridin' My Bike"

The 13-year old nephew of Smokey Robinson, J-ROC is building a solid reputation as a professional rapper. He recorded his 1st CD, J-ROC This Kid's on FIRE at age 8 and has since launched his own tours, and opened up for major artist such as T.I., Young Jeezy, T-Pain and Trey Songz to name a few.

Michael and Marisa: "A Guy Like Me" and "Happily Ever After"

With the release of their debut album of all original songs, Kickin' It Together, 10 and 11 year old siblings, Michael (drums) and Marisa (guitar), are thrilled to be touring the country performing songs from their new album.

Marisa hopes to inspire and empower audiences to do positive things, notice the world around them and make a difference, while Michael wants kids to know that if they work hard they really can reach their goals.

Nick Bailey: "Take Me With You"

At the early age of twelve, Nick Bailey fell in love with an old acoustic guitar that his mother kept in the closet. He practiced day in and day out. After playing with several bands in high school and college he began playing solo acoustic dinner music at local hotels and restaurants. He used these gigs to try out his new solo material which eventually led to his self titled solo act. Nick's songs can be heard in "indie" projects ranging from action sports to fitness DVDs.

Hipwaders: "Educated Kid"

The Hipwaders are a showcase for the kid-friendly songwriting of Tito Uquillas. In 2005, the band received a Parent's Choice Award for their first album, The Smile Project. The Hipwaders' official self-titled debut album also won a Parents' Choice Award and the band was nominated by XM Satellite Radio as one of the best new kids' music acts of 2005. In 2007, The Hipwaders released Educated Kid, which was voted #5 best album of the year in the "Fids and Kamily" poll.

The band continues to perform throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and has had their music heard on PBS, Discovery Health, MTV, Bravo, Superstation, TLC and The Travel Channel.

Recruiting the Stars of Tomorrow

With virtual concerts and other music content planned as an integral part of the world, ZooKazoo's hunt for age-appropriate, original music is an ongoing endeavor. Unsigned artists of all ages are encouraged to submit their recorded music for review by visiting www.ZooKazoo.com/artists. If selected, the artists receive compensation in exchange for permission to showcase the songs on ZooKazoo.com.

About ZooKazoo

ZooKazoo was conceptualized back in January 2007 by five parents with extensive backgrounds in children's learning and play, entertainment, game design, web-based technologies and business. Their collective mission was unanimous: Create a safer, imaginary world of adventurous destinations on the Internet where children can play, socialize, have fun and make their world a better place.