Spring Break
Wiggling into town
Popular Australian childrens' band to make first appearance in Mississippi in late February
Keeley Tatum
Issue date: 1/19/07 Section: News
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The Wiggles are a musical group that entertains children through song and dance. The group, which released its first album/video in 1991 and are commonly identified by their colorful shirts or skivvies, began when members Anthony Field (blue), Murray Cook (red), and Greg Page (yellow) met at Macquarie University in Sydney while studying early childhood development. Jeff Fate (purple) was later added to the trio to complete the band.
The Wiggles have had numerous albums, movies and TV shows since their debut and have become one of Australia's most successful performing acts.
Anthony Field believes that a lot of the success enjoyed by the band comes directly from its knowledge and experience with child development.
"A lot of what we do comes from a child's perspective," Fields says on The Wiggles official Web site. "It's got a lot to do with what songs are about and the language we use, and I like to think we know how to write pretty catchy tunes. Right from the start we gave a lot of thought to what was appropriate for children's music."
Tickets went on sale for the concert Jan. 12, and 3,000 have already been purchased by people in Starkville and surrounding cities such as Tupelo, Meridian, and Jackson.
"I was really shocked by the popularity of [The Wiggles]," said Brad Burton, student director of Music Maker Productions.
The Wiggles' concert is not the first event aimed towards children to visit the Mississippi State campus. Last year, Sesame Street Live put on a performance as well as The Barnum and Bailey Circus.
"We try to do something every single year for the community, especially for the kids," Burton said. "[The Wiggles concert] gives families something to do together."
Jan Taylor, director of the Child Development and Family Studies Center, feels that it is important for children to have something positive to watch on television.
"In general, preschool-aged children are very responsive to music, language and action," said Taylor. "Children learn best through something that engages them."
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