TACOMA, WA- Local musician Mr. Josh has released Feelings, his debut album. The album features a triple threat of catchy sing-a-longs, full body movement, and developmental feelings recognition for children, with 10 songs that have proven over the years to bring joy to both children and grown ups alike.

Starting off as a pre-school music teacher in 2013, Mr. Josh was asked to gather songs about different feelings for the school’s monthly curriculum. He soon noticed the lack of children’s songs that explored feelings, so he decided to fill that void by writing his own songs about feelings, and soon enough the song ‘Sad’ was born. Realizing how much he enjoyed writing children’s songs, he began to write new songs each week to fulfill the pre-school’s need for songs with themed curriculum, which is where most of the Feelings album songs were born.

Over the years, Mr. Josh noticed the strong and positive reaction to his songs from both children and parents. Mr. Josh eventually graduated from a music teacher to a full time pre-school teacher and has had the honor of implementing his children’s songs into the curriculum of his classrooms. With the reoccurring question from parents “where can I buy your songs?” Mr. Josh realized he needed to make an album.

Recorded in the closet of his house, Mr. Josh has made his Feelings album in true DIY fashion, handling every aspect from instrumentation performance, recording, producing, mastering, and art work for the album. With help from his wife Erin and his infant daughter Lydian, who are both featured on the song ‘Happy Face,’ Mr. Josh has captured the energy, silliness, and emotion that is present in his classroom music time and live children’s concerts. To put it simply, Mr. Josh’s Feelings album is not only fun and silly, but is also an effective childhood development tool for exploring feelings.

Mr. Josh is the alter-ego of local music coach Joshua Turner, who has been singing and playing instruments since the age of sixteen, with training in many vocal stylings from R&B to opera. He received vocal training at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. Much of Turner’s coaching philosophy is based on the Berklee curriculum itself. He has also received professional training in guitar from the Musicians Institute in California, which he references in his guitar teaching. Turner and his family have lived in Tacoma for two years.

Turner’s coaching style is simple and to the point: the goal is to learn how to use your instrument effectively, with the guiding principal “if it hurts, you’re singing wrong.” Turner stresses this is why vocal exercises are so important: to keep your voice strong, so you can build stamina and avoid pain. He believes only in constructive criticism – especially in the beginning – with the knowledge that singing or playing an instrument can be a very sensitive thing. The initial goal is to raise your confidence in your ability, then focus on the more technical aspects of your personal goals as a musician.

Mr. Josh’s songs and music have been used been used as music therapy for foster children and at Early Childhood Education Seminars. The album Feelings is distributed by Revert Records in Tacoma, WA, and can be found on Mr. Josh’s website.

– Mr. Josh Music