This is from the Lehigh Valley The Morning Call (newspaper):
“Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this,” said Allentown’s Gloria Domina as she accepted a Grammy Award Sunday for helping produce “All About Bullies…Big and Small,” the winner in the best children’s recording category.
Domina produced the CD along with Bucks County’s Steve Pullara of Cool Beans Music, Pat Robinson of Robinsongs, and James Cravero and Kevin Mackie of East Coast Recording Co.
“It’s unbelievable,” Domina said. “We did this to bring attention to anti-bullying and here we are.”
The producers, with the exception of Robinson who wasn’t able to attend the awards ceremony in Los Angeles, crowded up to the podium accompanied by a crowd of 20 performers who had traveled from Eastern Pennsylvania to accept the award from OK Go, an alternative rock band who came to fame for their innovative YouTube videos. All had volunteered their time and talents to help make the benefit CD.
“Philadelphia loves you,” said Pullara, who also is a Philadelphia-area children’s musician as well as lead producer on the disc. “The Lord brought us together.”
He noted that all proceeds of the CD — which features a mix of poems and songs about bullies on the bus, cyber-bullies, kids who don’t fit in and kids who are learning to stand up for themselves — goes to Pacer Center’s National Bullying Prevention Center in Minnesota.
Among the 40 featured artists are: Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band members Steve Van Zandt and Vini Lopez; Universal recording artist Blue October; John Lennon girlfriend May Pang; Grammy-nominated musician Jonathan Sprout; and “Seinfeld” actress Heidi Swedberg.
All the producers also contributed tracks to the CD. Domina penned the poem “Rolling With It.” Mackie, a Quakertown resident, contributed the song “Check Your Attitude,” with his band Only Human, featuring Lansdale rapper Whitney Peyton. Pullara of Warminster contributed “My World is a Bicycle” with his Cool Beans Band and the poem “Red Sneakers.” Amy Otey of New Jersey who performs as Miss Amy, also contributed a track to CD and ironically was competing against it for her own CD “Fitness Rock & Roll” which also had been nominated for a Grammy.
“I’m thankful to be on a great team” said Cravero who performed on “Where Are Ya?” written by Pullara.
“This is a total blessing,” Domina said. “It really sends a message. This CD is crafted so well. The message is not just for kids.”
Pullara, who along with Mackie and Cravero, produced 2010′s “Healthy Food for Thought,” a similar poem and song compilation children’s CD that was nominated for a 2011 Grammy, but didn’t win. Domina also had helped with and contributed a track to that CD.
Although Domina called the CD an “underdog” Pullara had been confident from the start about the CD’s chances to win.
“This is a great CD,” he said. “It’s got everything.”
He said the project was a “passion” for all the producers and the more recognition the CD gets the more the message of anti-bullying gets out.
“This is a world stage,” he said.
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