John Jacobson & The Double Dream Hands YouTube / Social Media Phenomena
It’s pretty amazing what a video on YouTube can do. For example, when a video of John Jacobson’s educational choreography “Planet Rock” was posted on YouTube, and renamed “Double Dream Hands” (DDH), no one could have foreseen the phenomena that would ensue. In a short three-month period, the video garnered over 2.39 million hits on YouTube, and spanned countless remakes, one of them set to a Bollywood song. The video has now spawned an industry – including appearances in the national media, a phone app, a book, and a DVD.
The video has touched a chord with children and adults worldwide and John receives emails from all parts of the globe praising the song and choreography. John recently walked into a classroom in Mali, Africa, whereupon recognizing him, the children spontaneously burst into Double Dream Hands. On January 26, 2011, John was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The episode celebrated Ellen’s birthday and as a present, her staff joined John in performing the Double Dream Hands dance. Upcoming television appearances include a VH1 special on viral videos. The video has now spawned an industry.
A Double Dream Hands iPhone application is now available for purchase at Apple’s iTunes store. Fans can upload a picture of themselves (or a picture of their friends, parents, grandparents, favourite celebrities, etc.) doing the DDH dance, wearing John’s famous yellow polo and sporting blond hair!
The popularity of Double Dream Hands has given John a broader voice and he is proud to present his new book Double Dreams: Living a Life of Glee, Harmony and, Oh Yes… Jazz Hands!, which will be available at the end of May on Amazon.com and in bookstores. The book is a collection of heart-warming stories about kids, music, and dance.
John’s family fitness DVD Double Dream Hands: Songs for Fun and Fitness will be available in May. The DVD features a 30-minute workout for the whole family. The childhood obesity epidemic in America has long been a concern of John’s and he hopes to help alleviate the problem with Double Dream Hands: Songs for Fun and Fitness.
For many years, John has been collaborating with the Hal Leonard Corporation, the world’s largest music print publisher. John has been a freelance music teacher, writer, composer, and choreographer for over 25 years. He is a passionate advocate of arts education, child fitness, and community service. John is also the founder and volunteer president of America Sings! Inc., a non-profit organization that encourages young performers to use their time and talents for community service. Hal Leonard has published John Jacobson’s Music Express Magazine for 11 years. The magazine, published six times a year, has over 10,000 subscribers. It contains original songs, dance choreographies, and lesson plans for music teachers. Double Dream Hands began as a choreography video from the Music Express magazine site. The rest, as they say, is history.
