Jonathan Sprout
Biography
Jonathan Sprout has recorded 12 albums, performed more than 6,500 concerts, and taught more than 800 songwriting workshops throughout the United States since his first professional appearance in 1972. His songs have appeared on several internationally released compilation albums.
In 1986, Sprout co-produced the first of four groundbreaking albums with recording engineer and guitar-ist Leslie Chew. Their On the Radio was the second album of rock music for children ever made in America. In 1990, Sprout Recordings released Lullabies for a New Age, the first album of original New Age music ever rec-orded for children. New Age Retailer wrote, “If you’re going to buy one children’s album this year, make it this one.” In 1991, Sprout utilized his degree in psychology, releasing another groundbreaking album, Kid Power, created to boost children’s self-esteem. Dr. Music followed in 1994 with a title track that for several months stayed in the top 10 on Radio AHHS, America’s syndicated radio station for children.
In 1994, Sprout began a 20-year stint researching, writing, and recording songs about American heroes. This resulted in four albums that garnered a remarkable 26 national awards* including a GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Children’s Album category.
Sprout’s personal life reflects the values his creative work espouses. An active member of the Religious Society of Friends, known as Quakers, he resides in Bryn Gweled, an intentional community outside Philadelphia, dedicated to championing compassionate and responsible shared living. Sprout’s plug-in hybrid car and energy-efficient home and studio are powered by solar panels, enabling him to live and travel virtually off the utility and electric grid.
In 2016, concerned by current national and global events yet inspired by the heroes he’d written about, Sprout founded Force For Good to uplift, unify, inspire, energize, and engage people in responsible civic duties.
Sprout worked with co-producer Joe Mennonna for two years, orchestrating 24 original music pieces. He worked two more years creating films for each piece of music with Emmy-winning filmmaker Rodney Whitten-berg. Force For Good’s songs and films address important issues, including sensible gun control, immigration reform, climate change, renewable energy, hunger, homelessness, and racial and gender equality.
Force For Good releases one film each month in 2020, beginning with Ice, a piece about the melting of the polar ice caps and the effects of climate change. The Force For Good audio CD Passions was released in Feb-ruary 2020 followed by Innocence, slated to debut February 2021.
* Awards include: several NAPPA Awards, several Parents’ Choice Awards, two Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence awards, a Family Choice Award™, Dr. Toy One of the 10 Best Audio/Video/CD/DVDs, Academics' Choice Award, KIDS FIRST! Award, Tillywig Brainchild Award, Dove Foundation Seal, Mom's Choice Awards® Gold, Creative Child Magazine Award, and a Global Music Awards Bronze Medal.
