ABOUT ANTS ON A LOG

Ants on a Log— Julie Be (they/them) and Miles Crabtree (he/him)— is a Philadelphia-based duo performing for children and other childlike people. Their award-winning music centers positivity, social justice, and silliness. Full of humor and harmony, Ants concerts are energetic, interactive, and a delight for children and adults.

Julie and Miles blend their skills as music therapists, camp directors, and musicians, enabling the Ants to reach beyond the usual scope of simple songs for children, and tackling complex themes and embracing the full potential of a child’s ability to think and feel.

Performance credits include Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Philadelphia Children’s Museum (Please Touch Museum), Wolf Trap, PAC NYC (NY Performing Arts Center), Cabot Theater, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Philadelphia Zoo, DC Zoo, Provincetown Family Week, and many more libraries, museums, festivals, schools, and beyond! The Ants often partner with environmental, LGBTQ, and other justice-based organizations. 

HISTORY OF THE ANTS

Ants on a Log was founded in 2015 by Julie Be and Anya Rose. The original duo produced three albums, numerous singles, music videos, and educational resources. Their musical “Curious: Think Outside the Pipeline!” won a Parent’s Choice Award for the 2019 soundtrack, and is viewable as a musical movie, as well as a script for schools to perform. Miles Crabtree joined the band in 2023.

Ants on a Log’s music has been featured widely in national media, including the NY Times and NPR, and their self-produced music videos have been selected for juried film festivals around the world. The band has accrued songwriting awards from the International Songwriting Competition and the Songwriters' Association of Washington’s Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. In 2021, Julie Be received a Leeway Foundation Transformation Award, recognizing artists who demonstrate a long-term commitment to social change work.

The “Trans & Nonbinary Kids Mix” (produced by Julie Be) won national acclaim as a landmark album in the world of intersectional kids media, featuring “They’re My Best Friend,” which became the first song on national radio to feature all nonbinary pronouns. The Ants have created companion content and educational resources, including a climate justice and clean energy curriculum, an anti-racism discussion guide, a skills worksheet for coping with anxiety and intrusive thoughts, and a curriculum for teaching safe touch, boundaries, and consent.