CREATORS OF PROFESSOR GOGO
Written by Robin Lerner
Grammy nominated, Country Music Award winner, and critically acclaimed lyricist Robin Lerner creates songs for film, theater, and recording artists worldwide.
A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Lerner began her career working as a screenwriter in Hollywood as well as a songwriter in many formats.
Under the auspices of producers Steven Spielberg and Cameron Mackintosh, Lerner created animated musical features for Disney, Amblin’ and Warner Brothers, working with composers, Galt MacDermot, Frank Wildhorn, and George Stiles.
As her songs found success in the pop world Lerner signed with Maverick Music and started traveling back and forth to Nashville.
Over the past 20 years, Lerner’s songs have been recorded by great country artists such as Randy Travis (“Out Of My Bones #1), Tim Mcgraw (“She’s My Kind Of Rain” #1) and Faith Hill (“This Kiss #1). In 1999 “This Kiss” was awarded single of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards, and was named ASCAP Song Of The Year. “This Kiss” was also nominated for a Grammy and went on to win Song Of The Year at the 2000 Country Music Awards.
Her songs have been recorded and performed by multiplatinum artists worldwide including Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Sheena Easton, Jermaine Jackson, Luther Vandross, The Backstreet Boys, Martina McBride, Carly Simon, Stanfour, Nick Lachey ,Girls Generation, Big and Rich, and Bette Midler.
Lerner has written three musicals for the stage, Excalibur, with composer Frank Wildhorn, which just enjoyed its world premiere in St. Gallen Switzerland in March 2014, An Officer and a Gentleman with composer Ken Hirsch which premiered in Sydney Australia in May of 2012, and Tears of Heaven with composer Frank Wildhorn, which premiered in Seoul in February 2011.
She has also written the screenplay for ABC/ Wonderful World of Disney’s “Princess of Thieves” starring Keira Knightley and Malcom McDowell , about the imaginary exploits of Robin Hood’s daughter.
Designed by Deborah Krikun
Associate Professor, of the Digital Arts at SUNY Westchester Community College, at the Center for the Digital Arts in Peekskill, New York. Krikun teaches digital media such as 2D/3D animation, digital design, game design, new media and video.
Her activities at the college include Faculty Advisor to a student club, New Media Group. New Media Group creates a newsletter DIG.IT.ALL, and students hosted a Film and Animation Film Festival at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill, NY. www.newmediagroup.org
Krikun has exhibited her works in the New York metropolitan area and Columbus, Ohio where her original 3D digital artwork titled “Lamentations” help dedicate the 10th Anniversary of 9-11. One of her interactive works titled “Headlights” was on view at ArtsWestchester Gallery, NY. Krikun also has exhibited at the STEAM exhibition where the intersections of science, technology, engineering, math and creativity merge to form a new expression. Artists in the show used interdisciplinary concepts of STEM to explore how science, technology and art overlap, interact, and innovate. An exhibition of short stories LOST AND FOUND ITEMS ON THE MTA, (2017) is an interactive data visualization animation presented on a touch screen display for ArtsWestchester and then at The Susquehanna Museum VANGO mobile, in Harrisburg, PA.
Krikun holds a M.A. in Communications/Computer Graphics from the New York Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Arts Education from New York University. Krikun, a guest speaker at SUNY’s Annual Conference on Instructional Technology hosted at Cornell University 2014 where she presented “GAME ON: New Media Tools for the Interactive Classroom”. She is a recipient of SUNY’s Chancellor’s Award for Excellence for Special Projects in Education, recognizing her dedication and innovation as a new media educator.
In Los Angeles, Krikun was a Technical Director for 3D animation and special effects for award-winning Los Angeles studios, which include Robert Abel and Associates, Digital Productions, and Editel.
While in Los Angeles, she was also awarded a grant to develop and direct “Tales on Trial”, an educational outreach project to better inform East Los Angeles youths about the judicial system after the Rodney King riots of Los Angeles. The grant was sponsored by the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Superior Court.
Living in Nyack NY since 1997 she has volunteered with many non-profits, such as Riverspace Arts Center, Nyack’s Public school district, Nyack High School Drama Works, and Soup Angels til 2009.
After many years of commercial employment in the animation studios and volunteering, Deborah returned to her creative works as an artist and continues to serve as Curriculum Chair for an associate program titled Interactive Technologies at SUNY Westchester Community College.
Krikun’s love for storytelling, animation, film, drama, fine arts and interactive digital media inspires her to develop creative programs for education, sustainability, entertainment, and business. Krikun is immersed in the fine and digital arts, learning and sharing her creative discoveries with students and collaborators. Professor GoGo and Friends inspire a lifelong of stories to tell.
To contact Professor GoGo’s Creators – Robin Lerner and Deborah Krikun,
please email us with your inquiries. EMAIL US
Thanks! RL and DK