Jack Forman is the bassist frontman for the Seattle-based kids' band,
Recess Monkey
Recess Monkey is a Seattle-based trio of current and former elementary school teachers who have made music for kids and families since their debut album ''Welcome to Monkey Town'' in 2005. They have since released 14 albums for family audiences. ...
, a solo musician for kids and family audiences,
a former on-air host on
SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...
's
Kids Place Live
Kids Place Live is a channel on Sirius XM Radio that is the result of a merger between XM Kids and Kids Stuff. Sirius was a result of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approving the acquisition of XM Satellite Radio Holding, Inc. b ...
, channel 134; and an author published on Compendium Inc.
Forman has produced sixteen albums for family audiences, earning a GRAMMY Nomination
in the "
Best Children's Album
The Grammy Award for Best Children's Album (from 2020: Grammy Award for Best Children's Music Album) is an honor presented since 2012 at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honor ...
" category in the
59th Annual Grammy Awards
The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 12, 2017. The CBS network broadcast the show live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, ...
for Recess Monkey's 2016 release ''Novelties''.
He and Recess Monkey bandmate Drew Holloway wrote a book for Compendium Publishing.
History
Forman attended
The University of Washington in Seattle, where he studied English with a Creative Writing emphasis. His work with children began in 1996 at
Camp Hess Kramer
Gindling Hilltop Camp is a Jewish summer sleep-away camp administered by Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Malibu, California in Little Sycamore Canyon between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean on a coastal ridge, 750 feet above sea level ...
in Malibu, CA where he served as a cabin counselor, specialist and unit head for four summers. Immediately after graduating college he began teaching full-time at Seattle's
University Child Development School
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...
in various elementary and pre-school levels. It was there that Forman met Drew Holloway and Daron Henry, founding members of
Recess Monkey
Recess Monkey is a Seattle-based trio of current and former elementary school teachers who have made music for kids and families since their debut album ''Welcome to Monkey Town'' in 2005. They have since released 14 albums for family audiences. ...
, and began playing music for kids and family audiences beginning in 2005.
Discography
As solo artist
* ''Songs From the Monkey House (2017)''
* ''Office Hours (2019)''
* ''Hold the Phone (2020)''
* ''Can’t Buy a Thrill Ride (2021)''
With Recess Monkey
* ''Welcome to Monkey Town (2005)''
* ''Animal House (2006)''
* ''Wonderstuff (2007)''
* ''Tabby Road (2008)''
* ''Field Trip (2009)''
* ''The Final Funkier (2010)''
* ''Flying (2011)''
* ''In Tents (2012)''
* ''Deep Sea Diver (2013)''
* ''Desert Island Disc (2013)''
* ''Wired (2014)''
* ''Hot Air (2015)''
* ''Novelties (2016)''
* ''Family Photo Album (2018)''
Awards and acknowledgements
''Songs From the Monkey House'' won a 2017 NAPPA Award for its "witty" songs: "Taking a recess from his Grammy-nominated band Recess Monkey, Jack Forman has concocted a super fun solo album."
The album was also named the #10 album for families in 2017 by the Fids and Kamily Awards.
Forman is also a GRAMMY-Nominated musician:
Recess Monkey
Recess Monkey is a Seattle-based trio of current and former elementary school teachers who have made music for kids and families since their debut album ''Welcome to Monkey Town'' in 2005. They have since released 14 albums for family audiences. ...
's 2016 family album "Novelties" was nominated for "
Best Children's Album
The Grammy Award for Best Children's Album (from 2020: Grammy Award for Best Children's Music Album) is an honor presented since 2012 at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honor ...
" in the
59th Annual Grammy Awards
The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 12, 2017. The CBS network broadcast the show live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, ...
.
"Live From the Monkey House," SiriusXM's Kids Place Live, Channel 134
Forman began hosting his afternoon/evening live call-in show
"Live From the Monkey House" on
SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...
's
Kids Place Live
Kids Place Live is a channel on Sirius XM Radio that is the result of a merger between XM Kids and Kids Stuff. Sirius was a result of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approving the acquisition of XM Satellite Radio Holding, Inc. b ...
(Channel 134) in January 2013. Jack broadcast from his home studio in Seattle via a dedicated line connected to SiriusXM's Washington DC studios. The show had daily themes that vary based on current events, listener-fueled ideas and game show style games. Forman was live for three hours Monday-Thursday, 5pm-8pm ET, 2pm-5pm PT; and presented "This Week in the Monkey House," a replay show of highlights from the week, on Saturdays at 7am PT, 10am ET for four hours.
The show’s final episode aired February 12, 2024. On February 28, 2024, Forman released the first episode of a new podcast, "Jack Forman's Monkey House" on Patreon.
Published works
Forman and Recess Monkey bandmate Drew Holloway wrote an interactive picture book for family audiences, illustrated by
Rob McClurkan, entitled ''Dive In: A Topsy-Turvy-Say-It-Out-Loud Underwater Adventure'' in 2016.
References
External links
Official website*
Recess Monkey Town'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forman, Jack
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences alumni
21st-century American bass guitarists
American children's musicians