Beth Blenz-Clucas blogs about music for kids that grownups will love too
Over the past decade, lots of artists who can already boast successful careers decide to try their hand at children’s music. Sometimes it happens when they become parents and find themselves writing songs for their children. Sometimes it just happens, when an artist (rightly or wrongly) decides it would be an easy and fun thing to do on the side. In the best cases, this can be a good thing. From Dan Zanes to Laura Veirs, the resulting experimentation can lead to songs that speak to kids while satisfying even the most discerning musical aficionados.
More than once, I’ve listened as artists talk about how liberating it is to break out of the confines of their particular genre, the little box that the mainstream music biz wants to stuff them into. With kindie music, there are no rules, and it’s the norm now for a children’s CD to feature “various musical styles and genres.” Sometimes, artists go overboard and include so many styles and genres that the listener doesn’t know what to make of it… the resulting album just comes off as an unfocused mish-mash. On rare other occasions, the result is a wild and exciting musical ride.
The bottom line is that making music for kids can be an exhilarating experience for a musician, and we get to reap the benefits.
Chris Ballew, best known as the frontman for The Presidents of the United States of America, dipped his toe into writing songs for kids in 2009. Performing under the moniker of Caspar Babypants, he’s about to release his fifth kids’ CD in three years: Hot Dog. Every song evidences the unbridled joy he finds in making this kind of music. Caspar performs around his hometown of Seattle often, and in late April he will visit NYC, showcasing at Kindiefest and performing two family concerts at Symphony Space. Songs seem to just flow out of Mr. Babypants, and the result is a whole lotta fun. Just check out “Googly Eyes.” The silly-smart lyrics and sing-along melody will not only inspire your own creativity, it’ll make you smile, over and over:
While Caspar Babypants typically performs in venues where he can have direct interaction with his wee fans, when The Presidents perform, it’s usually on a huge stage before thousands of screaming fans. Several years back, we saw The Presidents play at the amphitheater at Bumbershoot, and Chris looked like a tiny dot far, far away on the stage. This wasn’t an ideal way to discover their music. Their popularity ensures that they’ll continue to tour to the biggest venues and festivals internationally. For now, their albums and YouTube videos are the best way to appreciate their dynamic music. Here they are playing at last year’s Bumbershoot, their hit song “Peaches.”
