Dr. Al Balkin

Dr. Al Balkin, a continuing ASCAP award-winning composer for children whose songs appeared frequently on the Captain Kangaroo CBS television show, is a professor emeritus from Western Michigan University. A music graduate of Indiana University with an M.A. in musicology from the same institution, he received his doctorate degree from Columbia University Teachers College in music and music education. He also attended Boston University and the Manhattan School of Music. Balkin has taught music at every level from nursery school to graduate school, and is a dedicated advocate of multi-disciplinary learning and creativity through the arts. His articles have appeared nationally in Principal and Music Educators Journal. He also co-authored the Houghton-Mifflin college textbook, Involvement with Music. Balkin has performed on the NBC Today Show, and his song, "The Midnight Ride of Prescott and Dawes," was the feature on Charles Osgood's CBS morning radio show, Newsbreak. As a professional pianist and singer, Balkin continues to perform in concerts where he presents the lives and songs of Broadway's great show composers and lyricists.