Written by children’s music blogger Carolyn Ross. View her monthly live music and arts calendar for families across the Washington, D.C. metro area at Kindiemusicdc.

“All politics is local.” A saying familiar to those in Washington D.C. and all around the beltway where bambinos and their parents live and work.  So what does a kids music band out of Seattle have to say about that? Well, quite a lot actually!

As we look toward the 2016 Presidential elections, The Not-Its! are hoping both kids and adults are listening to their message of speaking up and speaking out.  The band’s new album title: Are You Listening? echos this sentiment, as do the lyrics from the single named for our own town, Washington D.C.

A bit like the travelouge, Places to Go With Kids in Washington D.C., “Washington D.C”. by the Not-Its! starts out all about monuments and ruby red slippers at the Smithsonian, but then spirals quickly into a kind of punk activist’s lesson asking what many in the national electorate seem to be saying these days, “D.C. do you hear me, D.C. are you tuned in to me?”

As parents of young children, we often teach them to stop and think about what to say when someone gives you a gift. Or how to apologize for bad behavior. But when was the last time you encouraged your bambinos to tell you what they might have to say to the leaders of our country?

Other Are You Listening? highlights include Kid of the Week a song about basking in the glow of classroom leadership, and Bird on A Wire a kind of introspective song that reminds us to think of our feathered friends when it comes to lunch.

Get tickets for The Not-Its! performance on July 26 & July 27, 2016 at Theatre-in-the-Woods and experience these positive jams in person.

Things to know before you go to a Theatre-in-the-Woods performance;

• There is free parking
• Plan for about a 5-10 minute walk from the parking lot to the performance area
• Bathrooms are located near the parking lot
• Only water is allowed in the performance area
• Strollers can be brought up to the entrance of the performance area
• All performances start at 10:30 a.m. and last about 45 minutes
• Seating is not assigned

See a full schedule of performances at Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods this summer at Wolf Trap.