Rock Music for Kids

HISTORY

 Mister Laurence's Mom & Dad on their Wedding Day
(October 14th, 1940!)

Meet the Man Behind "Mister Laurence"

Laurence Bond Miller, aka "Mister Laurence," was born into a musical family of five, where he was exposed to many types of music during his formative years: Romantic Classical and Modern 20th Century orchestral music from his father, random accappella while doing the laundry from his mother, 50s Classics into 60s Folk into the 1st wave of electronic music through his older siblings, and then finally drowned in "British Invasion", Psychedelic Rock, Free-Form Jazz and New Wave Punk with his two musical brothers Roger Clark Miller and Benjamin Rush Miller. This variety of influences has been evident in his songwriting throughout his career.

Accomplished Musician
Singing came natural for him and brought him great attention from the girls in the 3rd grade.  This behavior prompted his folks to set Miller with formal training in both piano and clarinet.  He was soon playing in the school concert band, and by 6th grade managed to showcase his first performance.  With teacher's permission, Mister Laurence sang and played the piano theme to the TV show, BATMAN, for the entire class.  Yikes.  He later taught himself how to play the guitar, bass and drums. Being left-handed and unable to afford a "southpaw" model, Laurence, not unlike Albert King and Jimi Hendrix, learned how to play his brother's right-handed guitar, upside down! Since then he has picked up the accordion, as well as the complex fingerings of the kazoo.

Laurence has since been involved in and lead many original performing groups and recording projects over the years.  Musical styles have ranged all the way from rock & roll to experimental. He even tried his hand at lounge music, eventually crooning for the II-V-I Jazz Orchestra! Yes, Laurence has covered quite a bit of ground in his day. Eclectic is a word often used to describe the lad.

Through the years, Laurence has acquired an unusual mix of instruments, which he stores in his home studio, "PlayRooMuzik". Here is where he taught himself how to record the music he writes. He even taught himself how to write music notation so that he wouldn't forget it. Clever, this Mister Laurence!

Music for Kids
It was in 1998 that he found his true calling - Children's Entertainment! Mister Laurence became music director for many of Ann Arbor's surrounding children's centers. It was there that he acquired his stage name "Mister" Laurence. All teachers are addressed as such, by their first name, following the formal title. The name stuck.  An accomplished musician, Mister Laurence was commissioned to compose the school theme song for Hickory Tree Children's Center. Holly's Hickory Tree was then featured on his first CD, Flaghorn!  Mister Laurence continues to this day working with kids in preschool centers around Washtenaw County. 

Single Father
Having children of his own, he had no trouble easing into CG rated material ("Childrental Guidance strongly suggested") His years as a single parent gave him a unique view of the work and joys of early childhood education.  And, though always a child at heart, Mister Laurence's three daughters (Tara, Ashia and Brittany) had a tremendous influence on his creative sensibility. This single-fathering experience in fact helped fuel many of his coolest songs. Credit is given to his children on every CD he produces.  NOTE: All three of his daughters graduated from college.  "How can that be?" asks Mister Laurence.

How does he do it?
As self described pseudo multi-instrumentalist, Mister Laurence performs a variety of instruments on each recording.  Along with a sequencing program and creative editing, he produces the sound of an entire band on all his CD's.  Performances are then sung and played along to the bulk of the prerecorded tracks.  All his products are released on his own private label and publishing company, FarFetched Records and Bond Voyage Music. Since the time Mister Laurence reinvented himself, he has written, recorded and released 8 major works plus a variety of novelty Cd's. He also produced two award-winning children's music video collections -- Mister Laurence in Bubbleland and Return to Bubbleland! (NOTE:  In 2007 thru 2008 Mister Laurence took a backseat to performance, and instead worked hard in the studio to finish his coming CD MARMALINE ~ My Music Machine)

THE MISTER LAURENCE EXPERIENCE
In 2009, something very special occurred. Mister Laurence brought a new member on board. MS. PRINCESS MELINDA!
The band name then changed from MISTER LAURENCE and his Play Money Band to THE MISTER LAURENCE EXPERIENCE. Together, Ms. Princess Melinda and Mister Laurence have produced an original award winning community TV network kids variety show MISTER LAURENCE'S "Enchanted" GREEN TREE FORT, and several award winning music videos! That fall they made their debut concert appearance at Ann Arbor's NICOLA'S BOOKS, celebrating their new CD MARMALINE My Music Machine).  It was a packed house by any book store standards.

Mister Laurence and Ms. Princess Melinda get married
Amazing as it may seem, rumor has it that Mister Laurence actually got hitched the same season.  (See video clip below) 
This fantastic celebration took place on September 19th 2010, with family and friends in Ann Arbor's Country Farm Park. 

Here we see a short clip of Mister Laurence and Ms. Princess Melinda,
just after saying "I do", hand in hand, venturing out into Bubbleland!
(Dig the man in sunglasses and bandanna. That's their good friend, Reverend Mike Brooks!)

 OSO the Drumming Bear!  ...and the beat goes on
Unbeknown to the rest of the world, Ms. Princess Melinda had been working hard on an animatronic bear for nearly a year, to further expand the performing group.  In the spring of 2010, the Mister Laurence Experience took the next logical step and transformed it's presentation into a rockin' three-piece kids band ~ just in time for their new music video "I'm GLAD at You!"

This production won Best Music Video at the 2010 West Branch Children's Film Festival!  Smart move!  Though still performing as a duo, plans are to lean on OSO's innate rhythmic talents as a general rule of thumb from this day forward!  More history in the making shortly...