WildBrain Picks Up Songs from the Bright Side for Distribution

ADVERTISEMENT

From creators Adam Goddard and Warren Brown, the 20-part musical preschool series Songs from the Bright Side, which WildBrain has picked up for global distribution, ties together themes of hope, bravery, acceptance, positivity and love, all in the name of fostering mental wellness in young children.

Goddard and Brown have been working together for over 15 years and have known each other even longer—going all the way back to attending the same preschool in Grimsby, Ontario. Previously, the two worked together on Big Block Singsong, a series similar in format to Songs from the Bright Side. The new series originated from the idea of making a concept album for young ones.

“We’d always wanted to do a concept album for kids,” Brown says. “We had a code name for that. We called it The Dark Side of the Moon for Preschoolers for a long time,” a spin on Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. When they delved into the Pink Floyd concept album, they noted that its throughline was “about their lead singer having a mental breakdown. Each of those songs is about a reason why mental illness was creeping into Syd Barrett and the whole band.”

Brown continues, “When we were looking at it, [we said], OK, how could we flip that to make that something that’s not so dark for kids? What happens if it was [about] the bright side of the moon or positivity? We discovered this idea of mental wellness and positive psychology, and within that, something called learned optimism.”

Every song on the album and every episode of the series began with some sort of positive idea, whether related to hope, love, empathy or kindness. And it’s not “preachy” in the way it imparts these lessons. “We avoid being prescriptive in our messages because the idea is to hook the kids in with music and let them absorb the positive vibes through osmosis,” Goddard says.

Music was the ideal way to share these positive messages, as “kids just naturally gravitate toward music,” Brown notes. “It’s something that connects them right away.”

The series weaves together a range of musical styles, from trap and folk to ’60s garage rock and heavy metal. Part of this is because their past work “gets a lot of positive feedback from parents who share their experiences in co-watching,” explains Goddard. “There’s a lot of surprise and delight when adults hear a nod to a certain genre that they recognize. You might have a mom who likes early ’70s metal or a dad who likes trap music or a babysitter who is obsessed with early ’80s new wave. Ultimately, it’s a bonding experience.”

The other reason this vast array of styles is included is that “exposing kids to different musical styles enriches their lives,” Goddard says. “When you expose kids to different genres of music at an early age, they soak it up like a sponge, and that expanded musical vocabulary fosters a familiarity that in turn becomes a building block and leaves children more open to experiencing new things.”

“And selfishly, we have a lot of fun trying the different styles,” he adds. “It keeps it interesting for us, and we also love mashing them together.”

There is somewhat of a method to pairing the messages with a specific music genre. “To use [the episode] ‘The Brave Chicken’ as an example, it felt like metal and having a chicken who was concerned about whether he was brave enough or not” fit together, Brown explains. “’80s metal seems to have that power that you’re trying to summon from within.”

WildBrain, which will be representing the series’ broadcast and streaming rights, plans to begin the series’ rollout on YouTube with a curated selection of episodes. “We’ll be launching a strategic, curated rollout on YouTube to promote the series and build global awareness,” says Katie Wilson, VP of global sales and acquisitions at WildBrain. “The role of YouTube has evolved for creators and broadcasters. The platform has become an effective distribution and marketing tool, intriguing audiences with a taste of the show while also providing discoverability—something today’s broadcasters are looking for.”