about

When Joshua Sitron first thought of the idea for FunkeyMonkeys in the year 2000, he was the composer and musical director for Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer. Seeing no possibility of putting on tights and performing on Dora (as it is a cartoon), and frustrated with the creative constraints and marketing agendas of big-time kids TV, he soon left the show to dedicate himself full-time to the monkeys.

The debut album, FunkeyMonkeys!, was recorded in the Spring of 2001, and featured the vocal stylings of some of Broadway and TV's best child stars. It's Boots the monkey (a.k.a Harrison Chad) of Dora the Explorer who intones the album's opening call: "All right FunkeyMonkeys! Are you ready". Released in the fall of 2001, FunkeyMonkeys! was received with wild enthusiasism by 3-year olds and 50-year olds alike. Soon after, Josh began getting requests to hire the 'monkeys' to play live. He had to explain that the 'monkeys' were a studio creation and there was actually no 'band' per se, as he played all the instruments on the record, and the 7 kids and one adult vocalist were recorded at separate times, in separate studios. Tired of having no real-life monkeys to play with onstage, Josh decided to find some.

While working on the demo for the album Jewish FunkeyMonkeys, Josh met Carey White, a teacher of music and violin at the Ramaz school on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Her zany humor and vocal/violin virtuosity gave her instant FunkeyMonkey membership. Josh's experiences performing improv theatre led him to meet Mike Gold (a.k.a ballooniac), a hysterically funny, multi-talented, musical making, balloon twisting maniac, who actually looks like a monkey. Finally, while taking drum lessons in his home town of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Josh enlisted his drum teacher, 'boom boom' Brian Carter to round out the group and play skins. It turned out Brian had a killer voice, ability to play guitar and keyboards as well, and previously had made his living as a public school music teacher.

The FunkeyMonkeys band made their live stage debut on Sep. 7th, 2003 at Makor on the Upper West side of Manhattan. Described as a "Seinfeld as the Wiggles" the show incorporates funny sketches and improvised bits, along with their unique brand of truly funky kid's music. Taking inspiration from diverse sources such as The Muppet Show's breaking of the 4th wall, Saturday Night Live's combination of sketch comedy and music, and Moulin Rouge's freedom to mix and match original and cover music in medleys and mish mash, the show was such a hit, they were instantly asked to perform on an ongoing basis. 6 months later, the 2nd album: Sing, Dance, and Underpants arrived to express this new energy with original, heartfelt, quirky, eclectic and always fun music. The Funkeymonkeys closed their 1st year of performance with shows in front of hundreds of people in Riverside Park, and at the South Street Seaport. So.........

Monkey Josh got a car, and the FMs hit the road, playing 25 shows mostly in and around NY, CT, NJ, but including a triumpant trip to Houston, TX where the FunkeyMonkeys were lucky enough to share a Marriot hotel with Halliburton executives. January 2005 saw the recording of the 1st FunkeyMonkey music video: 'I'd Like A Banana', directed by Paul Urciolo and shot by Andrew Sitron and Kevin Scott. 2005 also marked the induction of the Bananas kids chorus into the show, online videetos, and the first appearance of Froggy (Stuart Bogie) and Beyondo, two super musicians and members of the Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. By the time the 2nd performing season ended in June, the FunkeyMonkeys where well on their way to finishing their 4th CD Tastes Like Chicken, which arrived in December 2005.

And it's only the beginning....:)

stuartbogie.com GO to Harrisons Website Ciaras Website www.ericbiondo.com Check out Josh's his website! Mike Gold (a.k.a ballooniac) GO to Ashleys Website , online videetos Say hello to MIKE! Say hello to BRIAN! music video: I'd Like A Banana Beyondo, FunkeyMonkeys! Ballooniac, the exquisitely talented balloon twister and sculptor Say hello to JOSH! Jewish FunkeyMonkeys Sing, Dance, and Underpants Tastes Like Chicken GO to Stephens Website Froggy (Stuart Bogie) Say hello to CAREY!

Joshua Sitron (head monkey) was writing music for Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer, the, Disneychannel's PB+J Otter, and the Girl Scouts of America's Sisters Hand in Hand when he came up with the idea for FunkeyMonkeys. He created the FunkeyMonkeys in order to have fun, be creative and connect with his audience in a way that producing music for children's TV didn't allow. When not playing with the monkeys, Josh writes and performs with musical, theater, comedy and improv groups in and around NYC. He also just released his first "serious" album of dark and fiery electronic music entitled Biblical Digital. Say hello to JOSH! and Check out his website!

Carey White (lead vocals/violin) teaches and performs music and violin to children in and around NYC including the JCC Thurnauer School of Music, and the Elisabeth Morrow School. She has performed on violin with Arlo Guthrie, and sings as sweetly as Karen Carpenter. She is also very funny. Carey joined the FunkeyMonkeys after she sang the lead vocals on the soon to be released Jewish FunkeyMonkeys! album. Say hello to CAREY!

Mike Gold (balloons, potty) spends his days as Ballooniac, the exquisitely talented balloon twister and sculptor, delighting children and adults at restaurants and parties in and around NYC. By night he is an actor who performs with various sketch and improv comedy, and theater groups, where he often uses NO balloons! Mike is funny. And he is gold. Say hello to MIKE!

Brian Carter (drums,vocals, naps) has a Masters Degree in Music Education and 6 years of experience teaching music in public schools to students K-12. He has given private instruction on drums and percussion for 13 years, and has been performing professionally on drums for 15 years. He currently performs as a singer/songwriter in Manhattan in The Brian Carter/Steven Uh group, and on drums with the Big City Playboys, and of course, the FUNKEYMONKEYS! Say hello to BRIAN!

The Monkey Horns: Stuart Bogie (sax, clarinet, bass harmonica, jaw harp, percussion, vocals)
Stuart Bogie was born in Evanston, IL. into a loving family of four. His earliest memories include music and he was afforded every desired opportunity to study it. He graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy then received a BMA from the University of Michigan. Since then he has performed rigorously in over 16 countries, for NPR and PBS, and recorded extensively. He has performed with Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, TV on the Radio, Sinead O'Conner, Burning Spear, Butch Morris, Jeremiah Lockwood, Medeski Martin and Wood, Tony Allen and of course the Funky Monkeys. He lives and works in NYC where he divides his time between performing, writing, and producing music. For more info check out stuartbogie.com

Eric Biondo aka Beyondo(trumpet, vocals) is the only human being to have played with the Monkees AND the FunkeyMonkeys. (That’s right, the Monkees of Davey Jones and co.) Eric Biondo is a Trumpet Player, Singer, and Composer, having written over 30 songs, and he has independently released four solo CDs. Eric also plays the Drums, Synthesizer and Beat Box. He has toured the U.S and Europe with The Monkees; and also performed with Hootie and The Blowfish, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Sinead O'Connor, Burning Spear, The Drifters, Barry Williams (Greg-from the Brady Bunch), Teo Macero, The Either Orchestra, William Parker, Billy Bang and many others. Regina Spektor used Your Daughter, Eric’s song from his record Beyondo-The Real Boy Band on her 2005 album Soviet Kitsch (Warner Brother Records). He is currently performing with the band Antibalas on a concert/club tour of the U.S., Europe and Canada through 2005. For the past two years Eric has been featured as part of the Dave Douglas/Jon Nelson/Roy Campbell Festival Of New Trumpet Music in New York City. Eric has a degree in Jazz and Contemporary Media from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He has also won the Downbeat Magazine Award for Outstanding Jazz Group in 1998. For more information please visit www.ericbiondo.com

Amy Palant (lead vocals) sang lead vocals and helped produce the first FunkeyMonkeys album. She sang on the Girl Scouts of America album Sisters Hand in Hand, and lends her sweet voice to cartoons.

Harrison Chad (announcer) gleefully announces "All right, FunkeyMonkeys...are you ready?" along with other interstitial bits on the first album "FunkeyMonkeys! Best known for his work as the voice of Boots the monkey on Dora the Explorer (where he met Josh), Harrison has also played in Les Miserables on Broadway and is a very much in demand young performer. GO to Harrison's Website

Ashley Rose Orr(kid vocals) is a super-talented child star and one of the most in-demand young performers out there right now. She has performed on Broadway in The Sound of Music, Les Miserables, and Annie Get Your Gun (where she showed Bernadette Peters how to dance "funkily". She also performed the title role in the ABC/Disney TV movie Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story. GO to Ashley's Website

Christiana Anbri (kid vocals) and her sister Ciara belt out "Miss Sue from Alabama" and others on the first FunkeyMonkeys album. They both are wonderful actors and singers based out of NY. Christiana, at the age of 12 has 3 Broadway credits to her name. She has just finished her run as the longest running Young Cosette/ Young Eponine in Les Miserables history. Check out their websites: GO to Christiana's Website ***Ciara's Website

Stephen Scott Scarpulla (kid vocals) another super-talented kid, Stephen has been in 5, count 'em 5(!) Broadway shows. He can be heard shouting "That's the way!" on This Little Light of Mine on the FunkeyMonkeys! album.Go Stephen! and GO to Stephen's Website

	Joshua Sitron (head monkey) was writing music for Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer, the, Disneychannel's PB+J Otter, and the Girl Scouts of America's Sisters Hand in Hand when he came up with the idea for FunkeyMonkeys. He created the FunkeyMonkeys in order to have fun, be creative and connect with his audience in a way that producing music for children's TV didn't allow. When not playing with the monkeys, Josh writes and performs with musical, theater, comedy and improv groups in and around NYC. He also just released his first "serious" album of dark and fiery electronic music entitled Biblical Digital. Say hello to JOSH! and Check out his website!
	Carey White (lead vocals/violin) teaches and performs music and violin to children in and around NYC including the JCC Thurnauer School of Music, and the Elisabeth Morrow School. She has performed on violin with Arlo Guthrie, and sings as sweetly as Karen Carpenter. She is also very funny. Carey joined the FunkeyMonkeys after she sang the lead vocals on the soon to be released Jewish FunkeyMonkeys! album. Say hello to CAREY!
	Mike Gold (balloons, potty) spends his days as Ballooniac, the exquisitely talented balloon twister and sculptor, delighting children and adults at restaurants and parties in and around NYC. By night he is an actor who performs with various sketch and improv comedy, and theater groups, where he often uses NO balloons! Mike is funny. And he is gold. Say hello to MIKE!
	Brian Carter (drums,vocals, naps) has a Masters Degree in Music Education and 6 years of experience teaching music in public schools to students K-12. He has given private instruction on drums and percussion for 13 years, and has been performing professionally on drums for 15 years. He currently performs as a singer/songwriter in Manhattan in The Brian Carter/Steven Uh group, and on drums with the Big City Playboys, and of course, the FUNKEYMONKEYS! Say hello to BRIAN!
	The Monkey Horns: Stuart Bogie (sax, clarinet, bass harmonica, jaw harp, percussion, vocals) Stuart Bogie was born in Evanston, IL. into a loving family of four. His earliest memories include music and he was afforded every desired opportunity to study it. He graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy then received a BMA from the University of Michigan. Since then he has performed rigorously in over 16 countries, for NPR and PBS, and recorded extensively. He has performed with Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, TV on the Radio, Sinead O'Conner, Burning Spear, Butch Morris, Jeremiah Lockwood, Medeski Martin and Wood, Tony Allen and of course the Funky Monkeys. He lives and works in NYC where he divides his time between performing, writing, and producing music. For more info check out stuartbogie.com Eric Biondo aka Beyondo(trumpet, vocals) is the only human being to have played with the Monkees AND the FunkeyMonkeys. (That’s right, the Monkees of Davey Jones and co.) Eric Biondo is a Trumpet Player, Singer, and Composer, having written over 30 songs, and he has independently released four solo CDs. Eric also plays the Drums, Synthesizer and Beat Box. He has toured the U.S and Europe with The Monkees; and also performed with Hootie and The Blowfish, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Sinead O'Connor, Burning Spear, The Drifters, Barry Williams (Greg-from the Brady Bunch), Teo Macero, The Either Orchestra, William Parker, Billy Bang and many others. Regina Spektor used Your Daughter, Eric’s song from his record Beyondo-The Real Boy Band on her 2005 album Soviet Kitsch (Warner Brother Records). He is currently performing with the band Antibalas on a concert/club tour of the U.S., Europe and Canada through 2005. For the past two years Eric has been featured as part of the Dave Douglas/Jon Nelson/Roy Campbell Festival Of New Trumpet Music in New York City. Eric has a degree in Jazz and Contemporary Media from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He has also won the Downbeat Magazine Award for Outstanding Jazz Group in 1998. For more information please visit www.ericbiondo.com
	Amy Palant (lead vocals) sang lead vocals and helped produce the first FunkeyMonkeys album. She sang on the Girl Scouts of America album Sisters Hand in Hand, and lends her sweet voice to cartoons.
	Harrison Chad (announcer) gleefully announces "All right, FunkeyMonkeys...are you ready?" along with other interstitial bits on the first album "FunkeyMonkeys! Best known for his work as the voice of Boots the monkey on Dora the Explorer (where he met Josh), Harrison has also played in Les Miserables on Broadway and is a very much in demand young performer. GO to Harrison's Website
	Ashley Rose Orr(kid vocals) is a super-talented child star and one of the most in-demand young performers out there right now. She has performed on Broadway in The Sound of Music, Les Miserables, and Annie Get Your Gun (where she showed Bernadette Peters how to dance "funkily". She also performed the title role in the ABC/Disney TV movie Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story. GO to Ashley's Website
	Christiana Anbri (kid vocals) and her sister Ciara belt out "Miss Sue from Alabama" and others on the first FunkeyMonkeys album. They both are wonderful actors and singers based out of NY. Christiana, at the age of 12 has 3 Broadway credits to her name. She has just finished her run as the longest running Young Cosette/ Young Eponine in Les Miserables history. Check out their websites: GO to Christiana's Website ***Ciara's Website
	Stephen Scott Scarpulla (kid vocals) another super-talented kid, Stephen has been in 5, count 'em 5(!) Broadway shows. He can be heard shouting "That's the way!" on This Little Light of Mine on the FunkeyMonkeys! album.Go Stephen! and GO to Stephen's Website