A few initial quotes about the album:

“This is one of my favorite albums, period.” –Mindy Thomas, Sirius-XM Kids Place Live Channel

“The best family music album ever. A masterpiece from start to finish.” –Jeff Bogle, Out with the Kids

“Their upcoming CD/DVD “Can You Canoe?” is, and I don’t say this lightly, a masterpiece. These guys traveled down the Mississippi River on a canoe, writing songs and communing with nature, and the result is gorgeous and heartfeld and I love it so much. I recommend it with every fiver of my being.” –Molly Ledford, Lunch Money

 For fans in Minnesota, you may wish to attend their Album Release Party on Saturday, May 19 at 11:00 a.m. at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park on the East Bank of the Ol’ Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis. 

"Can you Canoe?" CD/DVD Release party in Minneapolis, MN on May 19

Last year The Okee Dokee Brothers went on a Mississippi River Adventure last summer, and later this month they will be releasing their new album “Can You Canoe?”  Watch for details later this week!

The Okee Dokee Brothers Mississippi River Adventure

On April 23, 2012, George returned to his hometown, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, to receive his latest honor:  this year’s Wall of Success recipient.  Students flocked into the gymnasium on the 23rd to honor and celebrate with Maurer, a 1984 graduate of Sun Prairie High School.  The Wall of Success began in 1996 with the purpose of honoring individuals who graduated from the school and have gone on to distinguish themselves in their careers.  Individuals selected for the award are invited back to the high school to speak with students and share the secrets of their success.

In an article from the Sun Prairie Star Online, Anne Weber said:  “Sun Prairie High School students, staff, citizens and friends, today we celebrate education, past and present, in Sun Prairie. This is truly a community event. Lots of good things happen in Sun Prairie schools, and we are honored to have the opportunity to celebrate the educational foundation our community gives its citizens at the 16th annual Wall of Success program.”

George’s message to the students was not to be afraid to step out of their comfort zone.  The article continues:  “It doesn’t matter where you come from, whether you are from the city or from the mountains or from the prairies or from an Indian reservation or the hood, or whether you have a different socio-economic background or different sexual identity or different religious affiliation – your gifts and who you are matter and it is important to be able to share those with others, but you have to connect, you have to sit next to somebody, you have to journey far away from the place that is in your comfort zone,” Maurer said. “That is something that is probably the most important thing for me as a musician because every place I’ve been there is a story that needs to be told, and I get to as a composer take that story and sometimes put it into song.” 

CCongratulations, George!  You have taken your wonderful adventures and touched us all with your remarkable musical gifts. 

Check out the StarOnline article for photos and additional details. 

Sun Prairie StarOnline.com article - George Maurer indicted to Wall of Success at Sun Prairie High School

This type of showcase was a very innovative idea when the first one was presented to a crowd of slightly over 50 people the New Traditions Theater in St. Cloud in 1993. Through the years, G. L. Berg has showcased over 100 individual entertainers to crowds numbering in the 500′s and 600′s at the Holiday Inn, and now at the Paramount Theatre in St. Cloud.

Please enjoy this video featuring over 50 different acts that have brought their wonderful talent to showcase crowds and to public and private events throughout the United States and several foreign countries. It has been a pleasure to work in this business for over 20 years, and we look forward to the next 20!

Stevie Ray speaks at a corporate event

Every month, corporate entertainer and comedian Stevie Ray writes a column Improvising Business, which is published in the  Business Journal Newspaper across the United States.  Stevie is the only nationally syndicated columnist from Minneapolis/St. Paul to write for the Business Journals, and he is proud to offer his thoughts on customer service, effective management, leadership, and healthy workplace practices.  Stevie draws on his experiences as a corporate speaker and trainer, working with companies from around the country as well as in his home of the Twin Cities. 

The most recently-released column, “Would you Treat Your Mother This Way?” was published on April 12, 2012, and a sampling of topics from previous columns include:  “Brainstorming:  The First Three Steps,” “Brainstorming:  Continuing the Flow of Ideas,” “Before Brainstorming, Consider a Shift in Company Culture,” and “Ego is First of 3 Deadly Sins.” 

These journal articles can be accessed on the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal website, or you can receive emails by clicking Stevie Ray’s sign-up link.

From one of Stevie’s readers:  “I love your emails!!  Thank you for putting such thought into our business world and human nature.  It’s certainly been inspiration to me and my team.  Thank you very much.”

John has spent the past decade performing both his stand-up comedy routine along with acting in major movies (such as The Thomas Crown Affair), television shows (including Law and Order, Spin City, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, HBO Comedy Showcase, and Premium Blend on Comedy Central) and on stage with the touring cast of Triple Espresso. 

John ran his first marathon last year, has started writing a comedy blog “The Funny Runner Blog,” and is planning on running the Green Bay Marathon in May 2012.  Welcome to the exclusive roster, John!

Stand-up Comedian John Bush

These people are all part of a new videos series featuring speakers talking about various health issues such as stress, nutrition, etc.  Stevie Ray was the Master of Ceremonies for the recent live taping of this series for UnitedHealth that was held in Times Center near Times Square in New York City.     

Speaker/Entertainer Stevie Ray with Matt Roloff, star of "Little People, Big World."