Bobs and Lolo
Encyclopedia
Bobs and Lolo is a Vancouver
-based children's music duo consisting of Robyn Hardy (Bobs), and Lorraine Pond (Lolo).
Originally formed in 2003, Bobs and Lolo gained initial success by performing at the Vancouver Aquarium
where Pond worked as an environmental educator. They recorded their first album, Sea Notes, in 2004, which had an marine
-based theme and introduced children to ocean
life. Their second album, Musical Adventures (2006), features songs about healthy living, conserving wildlife and going green. In 2007, they released On Your Feet - A Musical Adventures DVD, which features 10 songs and full-length music videos from their second album, Musical Adventures. Their most recent album, Action Packed (2008) features upbeat songs with kid-friendly analogies, and is dedicated to kids with action-packed lives.
Bobs and Lolo have won numerous awards, including a 2007 Parents' Choice Award
: Silver Honour Award for Musical Adventures, a 2008 Parents’ Choice Award for On Your Feet, a 2008 Children’s Music Web Award for On Your Feet, a 2009 Parents’ Choice Gold Award for Action Packed, a 2009 Canadian Indie Award Nomination for Favourite Children’s Artist, and more recently, at the Western Canadian Music Awards
, for Children’s Recording of the Year for Action Packed.
Beginning in 2010, Bobs and Lolo music videos have aired regularly on Treehouse TV
across Canada.
when they were both 8 years old, and grew up together in Nanaimo, where their love of the natural world was encouraged by their proximity to the Pacific Ocean
and coastal rainforest on Vancouver Island
. They parted ways soon after meeting, but reconnected in high school
with a shared love of nature and an enjoyment for teaching children. Music was also a constant; they both took piano lessons from the same teacher as children, and also were in the school choir and an a cappella
ensemble.
After graduating high school, Pond moved to Vancouver
to attend the University of British Columbia
(UBC), where she received a Bachelor of Human Kinetics
degree, after which she started working at the Vancouver Aquarium
. Hardy moved to Victoria to attend the University of Victoria
, where she received a Bachelor of Arts
, with an honours degree majoring in linguistics. After finishing her degree, Hardy then studied at UBC and received a Bachelor of Education
degree. She then started teaching in the local school district.
, and Hardy working as a elementary school
teacher in Vancouver
, when they had a conversation about using music to educate and teach. Their conversation inspired them to write their first few songs, among them "See a Sea Lion" and "I Wish I Was a Jellyfish". They decided the name for their duo should be "Bobs and Lolo", from nicknames they had in high school.
Soon they started to perform their songs in front of friends, at parties, and almost anywhere someone would let them play. They got positive reception, so Pond approached the Vancouver Aquarium
where she worked about doing a musical show for children that would educate them about the marine environment. The aquarium agreed, and gave Bobs and Lolo their first steady show, essentially launching their career.
In 2004 they recorded their debut album, entitled Sea Notes, based entirely on ocean-related material. The album consisted of completely original compositions, composed to introduce kids to a diversity of marine
life.
In an attempt to make children’s music more popular with other ages (especially parents), Bobs and Lolo composed the songs for Sea Notes in a wide range of genres, such as jazz
, rock
, blues
and pop
. This proved to be a success with parents, who were happy to finally have children’s music they could enjoy listening to with their kids, later proven with numerous Parents' Choice awards.
The album was very popular. In the first three years, Sea Notes sold over 6,000 copies; almost unheard of for an independent music release.
In April 2009, Bobs and Lolo announced the re-packaging of Sea Notes in eco-friendly materials, including packaging printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified stock, vegetable-based inks, waterless printing technology, and 100% recyclable CD trays.
After the release of the album, Bobs and Lolo continued to play shows to promote their music. In the year following the release of Musical Adventures, they played over 250 shows all over Canada
, from BC
to Prince Edward Island
. In December 2007 alone they played over 50 shows.
This album also brought Bobs and Lolo their first major award, receiving the 2007 Parents' Choice Award
: Silver Honors award. It was also nominated at the 2007 Western Canadian Music Awards
for Outstanding Children’s Recording of the Year.
of 10 music videos of songs from Musical Adventures and Sea Notes. The DVD
, titled On Your Feet (from the title track of Musical Adventures), was released in December 2007.
Each music video is introduced by a short animated title, followed by the introduction of Bobs and Lolo, often with children playing or dancing around them. The videos were shot in and around Vancouver
, and all the scenes are either of the spectacular natural scenery, or of colorful indoor sets. Like in their live performances, Bobs and Lolo dressed in identical outfits, with many costume changes.
On Your Feet won Bobs and Lolo a 2008 Parents' Choice Award
, and a 2008 Children’s Music Web award: Best DVD for Preschoolers.
, healthy eating, fitness
and teamwork
. Musically, the album stayed on the same track as Sea Notes (2004), and Musical Adventures (2006), complementing the musical styles of the previous albums.
With this album came more awards for Bobs and Lolo. First, they won a 2009 Parents’ Choice Gold Award, followed by a 2009 nomination for Best Children’s Recording of the Year from the Western Canadian Music Alliance (WCMA).
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
-based children's music duo consisting of Robyn Hardy (Bobs), and Lorraine Pond (Lolo).
Originally formed in 2003, Bobs and Lolo gained initial success by performing at the Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, the aquarium is a centre for marine research, conservation and marine animal rehabilitation.The Vancouver...
where Pond worked as an environmental educator. They recorded their first album, Sea Notes, in 2004, which had an marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
-based theme and introduced children to ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
life. Their second album, Musical Adventures (2006), features songs about healthy living, conserving wildlife and going green. In 2007, they released On Your Feet - A Musical Adventures DVD, which features 10 songs and full-length music videos from their second album, Musical Adventures. Their most recent album, Action Packed (2008) features upbeat songs with kid-friendly analogies, and is dedicated to kids with action-packed lives.
Bobs and Lolo have won numerous awards, including a 2007 Parents' Choice Award
Parents' Choice Award
The Parents' Choice Award is an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It is considered a "prestigious" award among children's products, and has been...
: Silver Honour Award for Musical Adventures, a 2008 Parents’ Choice Award for On Your Feet, a 2008 Children’s Music Web Award for On Your Feet, a 2009 Parents’ Choice Gold Award for Action Packed, a 2009 Canadian Indie Award Nomination for Favourite Children’s Artist, and more recently, at the Western Canadian Music Awards
Western Canadian Music Awards
The Western Canadian Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony for music in the western portion of Canada, that originated in its current form in 2003...
, for Children’s Recording of the Year for Action Packed.
Beginning in 2010, Bobs and Lolo music videos have aired regularly on Treehouse TV
Treehouse TV
Treehouse TV is a Canadian English language cable television specialty channel with programming targeted towards preschoolers that was launched on October 17, 1997. Its name comes from YTV's old children's programming block, The Treehouse...
across Canada.
Pre-Bobs and Lolo
Robyn Hardy and Lorraine Pond met in Girl GuidesGirl Guides
A Guide, Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Scouts. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian...
when they were both 8 years old, and grew up together in Nanaimo, where their love of the natural world was encouraged by their proximity to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and coastal rainforest on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
. They parted ways soon after meeting, but reconnected in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
with a shared love of nature and an enjoyment for teaching children. Music was also a constant; they both took piano lessons from the same teacher as children, and also were in the school choir and an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
ensemble.
After graduating high school, Pond moved to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
to attend the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
(UBC), where she received a Bachelor of Human Kinetics
Bachelor of Human Kinetics
A Bachelor of Human Kinetics is a four-year academic degree awarded by a university upon the completion of a program of study of Human kinetics. Specializations within this degree can include: Athletic Therapy, Kinesiology, Physical Education, Recreation, and Sport management....
degree, after which she started working at the Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, the aquarium is a centre for marine research, conservation and marine animal rehabilitation.The Vancouver...
. Hardy moved to Victoria to attend the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
, where she received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, with an honours degree majoring in linguistics. After finishing her degree, Hardy then studied at UBC and received a Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
degree. She then started teaching in the local school district.
Formation and early success
In 2003, Pond was working as an environmental educator at the Vancouver AquariumVancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, the aquarium is a centre for marine research, conservation and marine animal rehabilitation.The Vancouver...
, and Hardy working as a elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
teacher in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, when they had a conversation about using music to educate and teach. Their conversation inspired them to write their first few songs, among them "See a Sea Lion" and "I Wish I Was a Jellyfish". They decided the name for their duo should be "Bobs and Lolo", from nicknames they had in high school.
Soon they started to perform their songs in front of friends, at parties, and almost anywhere someone would let them play. They got positive reception, so Pond approached the Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, the aquarium is a centre for marine research, conservation and marine animal rehabilitation.The Vancouver...
where she worked about doing a musical show for children that would educate them about the marine environment. The aquarium agreed, and gave Bobs and Lolo their first steady show, essentially launching their career.
Sea Notes (2004)
After receiving great reviews for their early performances at the aquarium, they began performing at schools, and private and community events around Vancouver. With popularity spreading rapidly in the community, they decided to record their first album.In 2004 they recorded their debut album, entitled Sea Notes, based entirely on ocean-related material. The album consisted of completely original compositions, composed to introduce kids to a diversity of marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
life.
In an attempt to make children’s music more popular with other ages (especially parents), Bobs and Lolo composed the songs for Sea Notes in a wide range of genres, such as jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. This proved to be a success with parents, who were happy to finally have children’s music they could enjoy listening to with their kids, later proven with numerous Parents' Choice awards.
The album was very popular. In the first three years, Sea Notes sold over 6,000 copies; almost unheard of for an independent music release.
In April 2009, Bobs and Lolo announced the re-packaging of Sea Notes in eco-friendly materials, including packaging printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified stock, vegetable-based inks, waterless printing technology, and 100% recyclable CD trays.
Musical Adventures (2006)
Nearly two years after the release of their debut album, Bobs and Lolo began recording their second album, Musical Adventures, released in 2006. This album had the themes of healthy living, conserving wildlife and going green, marking the duo’s first departure from ocean-based lyrics. They did, however, keep with their successful musical style employed in Sea Notes; composing songs in various genres with kid-oriented lyrics.After the release of the album, Bobs and Lolo continued to play shows to promote their music. In the year following the release of Musical Adventures, they played over 250 shows all over Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, from BC
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. In December 2007 alone they played over 50 shows.
This album also brought Bobs and Lolo their first major award, receiving the 2007 Parents' Choice Award
Parents' Choice Award
The Parents' Choice Award is an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It is considered a "prestigious" award among children's products, and has been...
: Silver Honors award. It was also nominated at the 2007 Western Canadian Music Awards
Western Canadian Music Awards
The Western Canadian Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony for music in the western portion of Canada, that originated in its current form in 2003...
for Outstanding Children’s Recording of the Year.
On Your Feet DVD (2007)
After seeing the success of Musical Adventures in 2006, Bobs and Lolo decided to create a DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of 10 music videos of songs from Musical Adventures and Sea Notes. The DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, titled On Your Feet (from the title track of Musical Adventures), was released in December 2007.
Each music video is introduced by a short animated title, followed by the introduction of Bobs and Lolo, often with children playing or dancing around them. The videos were shot in and around Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and all the scenes are either of the spectacular natural scenery, or of colorful indoor sets. Like in their live performances, Bobs and Lolo dressed in identical outfits, with many costume changes.
On Your Feet won Bobs and Lolo a 2008 Parents' Choice Award
Parents' Choice Award
The Parents' Choice Award is an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It is considered a "prestigious" award among children's products, and has been...
, and a 2008 Children’s Music Web award: Best DVD for Preschoolers.
Action Packed (2008)
In the fall of 2008, Bobs and Lolo went in to the studio to record their third album. This album, released later in 2008, was titled Action Packed. As the name suggests, this album featured 12 new songs aimed at persuading kids to do actions and behaviors that positively impact themselves and others. The songs had themes such as literacyLiteracy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
, healthy eating, fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
and teamwork
Teamwork
Teamwork is action performed by a team towards a common goal. A team consists of more than one person, each of whom typically has different responsibilities....
. Musically, the album stayed on the same track as Sea Notes (2004), and Musical Adventures (2006), complementing the musical styles of the previous albums.
With this album came more awards for Bobs and Lolo. First, they won a 2009 Parents’ Choice Gold Award, followed by a 2009 nomination for Best Children’s Recording of the Year from the Western Canadian Music Alliance (WCMA).
Discography
- Sea Notes (2004)
- Musical Adventures (2006)
- On Your Feet DVD (2007)
- Action Packed (2008)