Clinical art therapist and musician Nicole Porter is thrilled to announce the July 11 release of Fun Machine Dream Vol. One, an exuberant healing arts album for kids and families by her award-winning band You and Us.

Like the critically acclaimed 2022 and 2023 You and Us releases, For Children of All Ages and Calming a Panic, Fun Machine Dream applies art and music therapy techniques to upbeat rock music with a feel-good vibe. On Fun Machine Dream, You and Us spreads its wings to embrace a blues rock, jam band sound.

“Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars was fully involved as part of our creative team throughout this album’s production,” says Nicole Porter. “He gave Fun Machine Dream his heart and soul during every minute of our time working together, and listeners will definitely hear his influence in the album’s sound.”

Fun Machine Dream is a joyous album that invites families to interact through music, play, and being present for and with each other. Rooted in values of emotional awareness, creativity, and community, the songs offer a mix of movement, silliness, and grounding messages, all designed to support connection between children and their grownups.

Blending music and art therapy insights with real-life parenting wisdom, Fun Machine Dream encourages listeners of all ages to slow down, listen closely, share their spaces with care, and have fun! The album celebrates the beauty of everyday family life and the rhythms that keep us in sync.

“The songs came to life during times of deep emotion and introspection, yet Fun Machine Dream turned out to be superb joy to record,” says Nicole Porter. “This served as a lovely reminder that families can laugh, listen, and develop together through music, especially during difficult times.”

You and Us brings a synchronization of message and music to every track on Fun Machine Dream. From the life lessons in the album’s opener, “Restore Harmony,” to the gospel stylings on “Funky Farm,” to Nicole Porter’s fantastic vocals on “Love You To Pieces,” Fun Machine Dream never misses a beat. Other highlights include the lively “Good Vibes Only” (which features a kazoo/whistling duet!), the minor-key funk of “Come Play With Me,” “Star Stuff,” with its focus on the small, daily moments of life, and “Sensation,” a sonic celebration of family. The album cruises to a spectacular finale with “Join The Band,” whose irrepressibly danceable beat invites listeners to join in the spirit of community.’

Fun Machine Dream features: Nicole Porter, vocals, executive producer; Luther Dickinson, guitar, bass, keys, toy instruments, co-producer; Wyndham Garnett, guitar, ukulele, keys, vocals, toy instruments, co-producer; Marco Giovino, drums/percussion; Chris Littlefield, trumpet (“Sensation”); Roye Moye III, vocals (“Star Stuff); Paul Taylor, tub bass, kazoo (“Good Vibes”).

Fun Machine Dream Vol. One will be available starting July 11, 2025 on all major platforms.

Specializing in early childhood acute assessment, trauma treatment, family advocacy, and community education, Germantown, NY resident Nicole Porter works as a clinical director, art therapist, and artist. She is president emeritus of the New York Art Therapy Association and co-founder of the NYS Licensed Creative Arts Therapy Advocacy Coalition. Nicole oversaw child therapy in the days following the Sandy Hook tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012. The processes and tools developed with the Newtown families inspired her to establish a mental health organization and art therapy trauma response team, the Emerald Sketch, which mobilizes clinicians to set up sustainable creative arts therapy services following disasters or traumatic events throughout the United States and globally. Among the greatest beneficiaries of the Emerald Sketch Creative Arts therapy services are traumatized children who have been exposed to gun violence, neglect, or abuse.

A resident of Germantown, New York, Nicole has led child trauma response projects at sites ranging from the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina to the March for Our Lives in DC, and beyond. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, she has provided virtual training support through Voices of Children, DTCare, and the International Humanitarian University. In these sessions, she teaches other practitioners how to integrate the arts into their healing practices and provides virtual therapy sessions for child and family survivors. Based in New York, the Emerald Sketch continues to provide teams of creative art therapists during disaster throughout the world.

The Emerald Sketch is launching a new “Transformation Animation” program in response to the needs of children in New York State, with an initial focus on Brooklyn. This outpatient program is for children who are exiting in-patient psychiatric units and need continuing mental health support, group connection, and creative development. “Transformation Animation” will utilize songs and characters from Fun Machine Dream to generate inspiration and structure.