Meredith LeVande’s Face Could Become A Familiar One To Fans

Meredith LeVande’s face could become a familiar one to fans of Sesame Street, Curious George and other children’s shows as WXXI-TV starts showing the University of Rochester grad’s Monkey Monkey Music videos in between shows or during breaks next year.
“I’m very excited about (the videos airing in Rochester),” LeVande says, “clearly because of my connection to Rochester, my history and pride and getting my degree at (University of) Rochester.”
LeVande has taken a winding road to her career as a well-known children’s singer.
Yet the music has been healing for her. LeVande grew up in an abusive household with a mother who suffered from mental illness who was permanently institutionalized when LeVande was 15. Her grandmother raised her.
She found that music helped her communicate with her mother at difficult times. That musical skill was honed at UR, not through formal classes but through learning to play the guitar.
“When I was graduating from (University of) Rochester, I applied to law school,” says LeVande, who graduated in 1995 with a degree in English and women’s studies. “In order apply to law school you have to get a letter of recommendation, and I asked my professor for a recommendation, but (he said), ‘I really don’t think you’re the type of person to go to law school. I’m still going to write you the recommendation, but you’re just so much more artistic and I don’t know if it’s the right career path for you.’”
LeVande got that law degree from Brooklyn Law School but also took the professor’s advice and started performing.
She is based in New York City, but early in her career she toured heavily locally, performing at Genesee Community College, Nazareth College and Rochester Institute of Technology.
“I was very happy when I would go back (to Rochester),” LeVande says. “It’s always a good feeling to go back to a place where you have roots.”
In 2000, LeVande found her musical niche when there were a lot of kids in the crowd at one of her concerts. Instead of playing her usual folk/pop genre, LeVande adjusted to the audience and opted to play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “Wheels on the Bus,” which garnered positive feedback from the audience
As she continued her musical career, she focused more on children’s music.
“I started playing more traditional children’s songs,” LeVande says. “As I was working with children and seeing how they responded (to the music), I began writing my own children’s music.”
Her CD Monkey Monkey Music with Meredith LeVande debuted in 2004, and by word-of-mouth became a hit nationwide. LeVande’s songs include “Jump High,” “Hello” and “Opposites” and encourage children to get up and move to the music and sing along.