Fred: The New Orleans Drummer Boy

by Fred LeBlanc, Marita Gentry (Illustrator)

Overview

Author Fred LeBlanc is the lead singer and drummer of Cowboy Mouth, the New Orleans-based band that reached national fame with its rowdy rock-'n'-roll spirit and catchy songs. He infuses a bit of himself and his bandmates into the characters of Fred and his friends in this debut picture book for beginning readers. Through his imaginative tale, LeBlanc shares the power of friendship, the benefits of positivity, and a joyous love of music while the drummer boy and his friends explore New Orleans. Explore the city of New Orleans and its music with young Fred and his friends. Then go behind the scenes as Fred LeBlanc shares the personal story of how music has inspired and shaped this real-life New Orleans drummer boy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781941879085
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	09/30/2016
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	895,309
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Fred LeBlanc has consistently been rocking stages for more than twenty-five years as the drummer and singer/songwriter for Louisiana Music Legend Cowboy Mouth. Producing a uniquely joyous and celebratory experience, Fred has been spreading his enthusiastic and powerful performance style to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Mardi Gras, and to stages around the world, bringing with him his own brand of life-affirming, New Orleans-flavored rock 'n' roll.

Marita Gentry is an award-winning painter whose limitless imagination and love of color shine through in her work. A self-taught artist, Gentry displays her artwork in several galleries throughout Louisiana and participates in many juried shows. She owns her own art studio, Studio Marita, where she combines her artistic talents with her love of teaching. She serves as an artist in residence in many local schools and regularly gives presentations, demonstrations, workshops, and seminars to groups of all ages.

Gentry is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the Artists Roster of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, and the Louisiana Watercolor Society. As an illustrator, she revels in her role in setting the pace and the rhythm of an author's story. She experiments with various painting and drawing media on different surfaces but particularly enjoys working with watercolor and oils. Her other interests include sewing, clothing design, and interior decorating. She resides with her husband in Amite, Louisiana.

Interviews

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH FRED LEBLANC (excerpt from Author's Notes)

"I was born deaf and with a set of under-developed lungs. I was three years old before the problems in my ears could be fixed. So in order to draw me out of my own little world, my parents would lay my head on stereo speakers while they played the music that they enjoyed: show tunes, classical music, and opera. The old family story goes that I could sing Italian opera before I could talk. Music has always been my first method of communication and is something that has always been inside of me.

It was natural, then, that I gravitated towards performing. As a performer I was always keenly aware of the effect that live music has on an audience. I love that it can be a celebration of life as well as a method of relief from burdens. I hope to share with my audience the release and joy that I feel when I play, and share the experience, that momentary euphoria when you find the best of yourself. Lofty goals, to be sure - but if you don't shoot for the moon you'll never hit the stars."