Tots Tunes - the back story…
Tots Tunes is the brainchild of cellist Tara Franks. Founded at Vortex Jazz Club, London back in 2011, Tara set up a weekly series of creative parent & baby workshops/classes with part-songs from around the world, original tunes and a few dance moves for all - as much for the adults as little ones!
Award-winning Tots Tunes has featured at the London Jazz Festival, on BBC6 Music, gained commissions with Johnson & Johnson and collaborated with Nest Collective, National Trust, The Green House, Dartington Arts along with clothing brands Little House of Vild and Mama Owl. With a footfall of over 15,000 participants big & small over the years, two much loved albums, Tots Tunes regular workshops run on the South Coast (Hastings/St Leonards) as well as continuing in East London with pop up Sunday workshops and commissioned workshops across the UK in galleries, festivals & public spaces.
Tots Tunes Family band
The Tots Tunes touring band brings together a collective of acclaimed musicians from the global folk/jazz scene to perform exciting expanded arrangements of the Tots Tunes original repertoire & global folk tunes (for adults and children alike), infused with close harmony vocals, strings and percussion.
“WOW! Pure joy! Tots Tunes incredible musical talent lifts the spirits of weary parents, laughter to little ones and dancing to both” Music Halls London
“the composition of the songs is so inspired and infused with life we cannot begin to describe it, and all of your band were so incredibly connected beyond a purely musical level, it was a truly spiritual experience for me! ” Audience testimonial
The Tots Tunes band collective includes a versatile line up of acclaimed from the London global folk, Jazz, post-classical scene inlcluding: Simon Roth (Percussion Kit), Bernhard, Shimpelsberger (percussion), Flora Curzon, Preetha Narayanan, (violin/voice), Midori Jaeger, Francesca Ter-Berg (cello/voice), Clemmie Franks, Ellie Westbrook (backing vocals), Bev Lee Harling (voice, violin percussion), A 2023 sold out tour was supported by Help Musicians UK.
Past shows include: LONDON - EFG London Jazz Festival - Southbank Centre & The Jazz Social, Music Halls Walthamstow, The Jamboree * OXFORD The Northwall * HASTINGS The Beacon * BRISTOL The Orchard * Cheltenham Jazz Festival *
The Tots Tunes albums:
More about Tots Tunes and SoundsCreative Projects…
Testimonials from Tots Tunes classes
Bablands Review
“My favourite thing about this class though, aside from the fact that it wasn’t just another hour of my life lost to nursery rhymes, was how into it everyone – and that includes parents and babies – was…. beautiful live music, the welcoming teacher, the element of interactivity and the fast pace” Emmy bablands
“I just wanted to say a heartfelt thanks for your amazing class… what a joy the class is”
“ From the moment Tara opened the sessions with her cello they were both transfixed by the live music. For me, it was the joy of attending a baby music class and not just singing "wheels on the bus" but folk songs from around the world."
“ the way you channel your art forms is simply phenomenal and inspiring, thank you for doing what you do”
Online
“Thank you so much for tots tunes virtual sessions!! …your creativity is really inspirational”
“This is so brilliant! Glad you are still putting your music, and joy, out into the world”
