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Mar
08
2012

posted by

Lisa Carmack


Symphony in B. It's here! It's here!

Every time we create a new toy we try to challenge convention and defy expectations. (Even our own.) This time we took it to the extreme. We are so excited…after sooooo long…to finally introduce one of the most innovative toys we have ever made. Symphony in B. Just wait until you play with it. You won't want to stop.

When we created this toy we wanted children to feel like the conductor of a world-class symphony. We wanted them to choose instruments one at a time and hear the beautiful music build. We wanted them to recognize that one song can be played hundreds of different ways, depending on which instruments are playing it. But most of all, we wanted kids to have fun and nurture that love of music we all seem to be born with.

Symphony in B. has 13 instruments to choose from. Pick up to 6 at a time and put them in the "orchestra pit" and hear them play together. Then change up the instruments (all of them or one by one) and hear the beautiful, musical transformation. With 15 songs and symphonies to choose from and 13 instruments to play, there are literally millions of gorgeous combinations. You could even play the same song 100 times and not have it sound the same twice. It's truly magical. And addictive.

How does it sound? If you know anything about us, you know we've always eschewed the nasally, synthetic sounds that are typically assigned to children's toys. Yuck, yucky, yuck-yuck. The music of a toy should make kids' hearts sing. (And should make parents' hearts sing, too. The sound of a musical toy should fill the house with the same kind of joy the sound of a child's laughter does.)

So we asked ourselves, can gorgeous, rich music come from a toy made for children as young as 3 years old (and as old as 13…okay 93)? Turns out it can. But it's not easy. :)

We professionally (and meticulously) recorded the rich music of 13 carefully chosen instruments from around the world, including clarinet, flute, tuba, trumpet, xylophone, drums, cymbals, piano, accordion, koto, guitar, violin and sitar. (Do you even know what koto is? You will now!) It's truly gorgeous. We've even programmed lights to teach the sections of an orchestra and show which instruments are woodwinds, brass, percussion, keyboards and strings.

Yes, I know. I've gone on and on. (Aren't we allowed to do that about our babies?) But this toy is more than a toy. It's more than we ever thought possible when we set out to create it. It's a revolution. And it's a whole lot of fun.

-Lisa Jobe-Carmack

P.S. This toy is so hard to explain in words we decided to make a video. We invited nieces, nephews, cousins and friends to join our own kids for an all-day Symphony in B. play date. Watch the video above and see (and hear) for yourself.


Mar
07
2012

posted by

Andrea Gavin Becker


The Real Woofer!

As part of the B. family you've seen our furry friends get involved time and time again. Here's another great example of how they inspire us so!

Meet Taco, best friend and resident howler. Watch her sing along with the guitar. (A sure bet for Fido Idol!) Now you can have the same fun, only with a guitar that does the howling for you. Check out the Woofer guitar with electric, acoustic and howl modes. Good human!

—Andrea


Feb
15
2012

posted by

Gisela Voss


It is a happy talent to know how to play. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Boy oh boy. Girl oh girl. We KNOW how to play!

Yup that's me hopping on one foot. :) We just got back from the 2012 International Toy Fair in New York. We loooove showing off our new creations. And we have a B.ig one to unveil in about 4 weeks. Quite likely the coolest musical toy you've ever seen. If you've not yet signed up for our B.mails or joined us on Facebook, you will want to be among the first to know when "Symphony in B." hits the shelves. Because the first small test shipment will sell out very quickly. We just know it!

We stood on our soap boxes for 3 days and told everyone who came by about our mission to make toys that are a sea change in the industry: beautiful enough to leave out when company comes over, respectful of our planet, generous to children less fortunate than ours.

How do we do it? We love it. We care. We play.

Beyond the visible signature patterns and colors…we labor over the ‘feel’ in a child’s hand, the thickness of the plastic, the smoothness of a strap, the curve of a corner, the recyclability of our packaging, the size of the box, the meaning of each word, the kerning of the font. We really sweat these details. Wake up with them in the middle of the night! Tweak and finesse them until we have everything juuuuust right.

Where possible the toys come with self-storage (the drum holds the instruments, the clinic roof houses the tools). We hate toys that leave a pile of trash as big as the toy itself when unpackaged. And yet, when clear trash plastic is inevitable, we’ve paid extra for the most recyclable #1 PET plastic. And we've designed even the recycling symbol to be B.eautiful.

But most of all, in our heart of hearts, in that spot where we are parents first, we make open-ended toys that encourage a child’s own stories to lead the fun. That engage that most powerful engine of creativity—a child's imagination. That support and celebrate our mission: JUST B. JUST YOU. B. YOU. That trust children to know how to play.

B. happy!

—Gisela


Jan
19
2012

posted by

Gisela Voss


B. there—with bells on!

We have a summer home near Nantasket Beach's historic Paragon Park Carousel and have 19 years of photos of our kids growing up riding around and around and up and down on those 1928 horses. They represent so much that is good to me…old-fashioned family fun, happy music, laughter, childhood.

We infused all that goodness into the design of Carousel Bells. The pitch perfect scale sounds lovely and crisp (perfect to sing along with to Twinkle Twinkle or O Sole Mio). The rainbow prism of B. colors swirling in motion is mesmerizing. Hold the wand on the bells as they spin and be transported to a day when you were 8 and ran a stick along a fence.

Then read our tips for musical fun.

Together, with B.ells on, we can keep the magic of childhood alive.

—Gisela

PS
Carousel bells will be available in two sizes. Right now for spring (can we say spring yet?) 6" diameter Piccolo hand-held size and sometime in the future you'll see a 9" Colossale tabletop version like the one we are composing with in the video above.


Dec
22
2011

posted by

Gisela Voss


Very Merry Joy-Joy from all of us at B.

We find it hard to believe this is only B.'s second Christmas and Hannukah—ever!

Like many of your precious little ones whose photos we marvel at, we have learned to walk and babble. We have giggled (a lot!), most especially at the wonder-filled things children say. We have made mistakes and made good friends. And we shared what we have.

And as the year draws to a close, faster than we could have ever imagined we want to take a quiet moment to wish you all the blessings of the season: joy, laughter, family, hugs and kisses.

We are firm believers in this African proverb: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others." Without you, the parents of the kids who play with our toys, all of this would be meaningless. You are our others. You are our community. You make our dreams a reality.

We know no words to express our gratitude. Maybe by year 3 we'll learn some new ones :)

~Gisela