Puppets Dazzle

Fun for the whole family. Everyone's singin' along by the end of each song. Package # 1: The Living Room Show, means I play an unplugged, intimate collection of songs, mostly on acoustic guitar, for a small group indoors. Eyes light up and ears perk as you giggle and sing along. Package #2: A Concert 4 Kids, means I set up indoors or outdoors. I bring all the equipment for a rockin' good ol time. This includes a Yamaha 88-key piano-keyboard and my Ovation electric/acoustic guitar as well as a mic and a full PA system. Besides Puff the Magic dragon and other favorites, you'll enjoy an alphabet song, a song about school, a birthday song, a lullaby, and tons of fun and funny songs about animals and their outrageous adventures. Meanwhile there's a wonderful music lesson going on throughout the entire show. Expect to tap your toes, laugh and cry all in the same hour. You'll have a blast with Ranger Jack!

In August of 2012, Jack performed before hundreds of children at the Huntington Beach Library's Concert in the Park in his first appearance as "Ranger Jack." He has since performed for over 40 birthday parties in Southern California, many more libraries, Pretend City, Kids Club at the Bella Terra Mall in Huntington Beach, the Montebello Mall and the Mall of Orange, monthly at the Orangewood Home for Children, the Bower's Kidseum, the Santa Ana Zoo, Zoomar's Petting Zoo in SJC, the South Coast Plaza So. Cal. Spring Garden Show, a Catholic School and a Jewish summer camp, and over one hundred performances at preschools in Orange and LA County, for that is his day job during the week. He is also a piano teacher in Costa Mesa and Fullerton, CA. Plus he just got hired to teach music to K-6 for the Fullerton School District.

"Ranger Jack" began his children's songwriting career in the spring of 2011 after more than 20 years as a music teacher, producer and performer. He had an epiphany after spotting an ad in "Backstage West" magazine soliciting children's music for a New York City music publishing company.

As a child, Forest was captivated by children's songs such as "Puff the Magic Dragon" as well as music from Disney movies, the film "Oliver!" and the Broadway musicals "Hair" and "Pippin". In addition, Forest says some of his fondest childhood memories are those of his mother singing him lullabies as he drifted off to sleep. As he got older, Forest grew to love the spirited and often humorous songs of bands like The Monkees, Peter, Paul and Mary and the Beatles - bands that would influence Forest's own musical style.

So it seemed par for the course that children's music came natural to Forest. He wrote and recorded three songs in answer to the magazine ad and subsequently wrote and recorded a 10-song CD, "Animals are Happy." In the summer of 2011, Forest was commissioned to write instrumental music for the children's DVD reading program "Skip & Daisy," which is sold and marketed to public, private and home schools across the globe.

In January of 2013, Ranger Jack got hired to perform in preschools weekly, and the rest is history. His calendar is filling up fast so contact Ranger Jack now for your next birthday or family event. To hear Ranger Jack's music, watch videos, read reviews or for more info, go to (link hidden).

I usually put on a 30, 45, or 60 minute interactive show, but often I am hired to play serenade music as the guests arrive, like Puff the Magic dragon, what I call "listening songs". Then maybe after I help with the birthday song as we cut the cake, the interactive show begins. All I need is a 5 by 7 foot area to set up my equipment, which mostly includes just my keyboard and guitar. In most cases I will need shade for outdoor shows and I can bring my own portable power supply if an electrical outlet is not handy. So get ready to sing and dance and HAVE FUN!!!