Jeff and Paige | Spotlight

Courage does not always wear a costume, but in this case, it does. The husband and wife duo, Jeff Kagan and Paige Doughty have been a fixture in  Boulder Valley for more than two decades, performing over 2,000 live events.  Their music, designed for kids ages 2–8 but catchy enough for adults, blends science, nature, and plenty of silliness.

It is hard to believe that this rainbow-clad couple found each other in a time of existential despair. Says Paige, “We went to graduate school together and studied environmental education. We both went through a lot of despair about what’s happening in the world.” Paige, while recounting the pressure and fear she and Jeff felt about the future of the world, often found relief by going outside. “When you feel like there is nowhere to go,” she states, “you go to the trees, and there you find the joy.” 

And joy, they found. They took their enthusiasm and drive to perform and created age-appropriate ways to nurture new stewards of the earth. Engaging music for kids, but also fun for adults, their performances are filled with creative costumes, storytelling, sing-and-repeat, and a lot of silliness, keeping even the most wild of children occupied for the show. While the youngest audience members might gain little more than mental and physical stimulation, children two and up begin to learn concepts from ecology, biology, and even a bit of physics. They learn about recycling, how to speak some Spanish, and about the solar system. 

This extracurricular education is more than a fun and informative way for a family to pass the weekend; spotlighting science and performing arts is necessary to the betterment of our youngest generation. Though it feels especially pertinent now, Paige has some wisdom on repeated cycles. “We’ve been doing this for over two decades now. And the cool thing about what we do is that it’s no matter who’s in the administration or what policies we’re not happy about, what we do stays the same.” She explains that when looking at the big picture can feel helpless, but being a part of the community changes everything.

Jeff adds, “That is what I think is threatened right now in arts and education.  These community spaces where we can gather and feel safe and healthy are diminishing.” Building a stronger community is a large piece of Jeff and Paige’s upcoming project.

This fall, they’ll debut Rainbow Socks,   a TV show,  named after their signature footwear, Rainbow Socks. The show will add in a new co-host, Shaun Derik, as the three bring realistic science concepts to screens, educating children further than Boulder County.

Why does this TV show matter? Over the past two decades, Jeff and Paige have been performing, inspiring thousands of children. Paige speaks of a recent alumni event where former audience members, now in their teens and twenties, were invited to gather and perform. In an afternoon filled with multiple generations inspiring each other to dance like energy superheroes or act out the decomposition cycle, Jeff and Paige were able to witness the strength of their influence. After the concert, the duo was able to meet with the alumni. Paige recounts, “I did a quick poll of the kids that were there who were in college of what they were studying, and every single one of them was studying either music or environmental science or both.” 

Jeff and Paige are also quick to point out that it is not entirely their influence, “It is where we live, there are mountains, trees, and nature all around, we are just giving them a fun voice.” They go on to explain that their goal is to teach, not preach.

This sentiment is the basis for the upcoming show, teaching without sensationalizing. Paige explains, “A lot of those [kids shows] really sensationalize nature and make it about putting on your jet pack and swimming underwater or in the sky. While they really have great imagination, it is not a good representation of what nature is really like.” Instead, the pair modeled the show after Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Reading Rainbow, aiming for a grounded, realistic feel.Jeff says , “We wanted to make a show that was much more representative of what it’s like to go for a hike.” 

Rainbow Socks screening  premieres August 24th at Chautauqua Auditorium, promising a night  sure to be filled with fun and education for all ages.

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