38/52 Bird a week - Harold singing his favorite song

This week's bird creation is based on my pet parrot "Harold".  He is such a cutie.  Every morning he gets an hour of children's television and he loves it! All those high pitched voices and lots of excitement gets him singing along. 

Currently, he watches "Curious George" at 8am and then "The Cat in the Hat" at 8.30am.  If you want to make a phone call while Harold is watching his TV programs, you have to go outside, as he makes far too much noise!

Hearing a parrot sing with you or with the TV or a CD is such a happy thing! His favorite song is "you are my sunshine".  People who come to visit him always sing it too fast however, so if you come by one day and meet Harold, remember to sing his favorite song - but sing it slooooowwwwwlllllyyyy. Then he'll join in.

This week's bird in the photo is a brooch, made of steel with a magnet to secure it to your clothes.

Take a look at the links below to see what other birds have been made this week by others also on our year long challenge to make a different bird each week:

Harold's radio debut!

Today is Harold's radio debut! Yes, Harold my parrot is singing his favourite song on Voicebox.


Voicebox is a new public radio program dedicated to the art of singing. The series is launching today, January 1st 2010 on KALW 91.7FM from 10pm - 11pm (US Pacific time).

My friend Chloe Veltman is the program's host and producer. For the first show in this series, she asked her friends to send a short iphone recording of themselves as they sang in the shower. I decided to have Harold join in with mine (but he didn't come in the shower!) and so we sang his favorite song "you are my sunshine". I sing this to him just about every morning. His lovely voice - with fabulous vibrato impressed Chloe so much that she informs us that Harold has a starring role in the show.

The only sad part is that I am in the UK and so not sure if I can hear the show. There is a live web stream on KALW.org...but even that will be in the early hours of the morning....so I hope you'll listen in on my behalf... And I did tell Harold's pet sitter about the show - so maybe she will listen to it with Harold while we are away. Harold loooooooves listening to his own voice recorded! He gets extremely excited.

Anyhow - maybe this is the start of a new career for Harold. What a way to begin the new year!!!

So listen out for Harold...and if you miss today's show, Voicebox will have a regularly slot on Friday nights at 10 pm so maybe you can tune in for the others. Here's what is planned for the next couple of months:
Why do we sing? – January 1, 2010 10pm, KALW, 91.7 FM
Do human beings have an innate ability to sing? When people say they can’t sing, should we believe them?

The inimitable Ella Fitzgerald – January 8, 2010 10pm KALW, 91.7 FM
America’s First Lady of Song changed the face of jazz vocals. VoiceBox explores the story behind the voice.

Hooray for Community Choruses, January 15, 2010 10pm KALW 91.7 FM
There are more than 500 choruses in the Bay Area and one in five Americans sings in a choir. Why are Americans so passionate about singing for pleasure?

Men with high voices, January 22, 2010 10pm KALW 91.7 FM
Once upon a time, countertenors wouldn’t go about publicizing the fact that they sang high. These days, male sopranos and altos are kings of the classical and pop worlds.

Mavens of Cabaret, January 29, 2010 10pm KALW, 91.7 FM
VoiceBox explores the vocal pyrotechnics of the smoothest cabaret artists from the Bay Area and beyond.

Thanks Chloe!

Hope you enjoy my sweetie Harold!

Yeah, Harold! You're a star!