Interview: Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

Every time I hear more of Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, the more I'm convinced he's going to be a Big Thing. Of course, he may be already, with the first great kids-hop album Easy set for re-rerelease this summer and appearances at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits Festival lined up for later this year. In this interview, you get a sense of both the studied and self-examined approach he's taken to understanding his particular path as well as the positivity and enthusiasm that has taken him pretty far down that path to Big Thing-ness already.

Read on for details on how he got to recording music for kids, the occasional difficulty of writing rhymes for kids, and how he knew his daughter Saki was ready for the big time. (Oh, and if you're thinking you've already got Easy and you don't need the re-release, read on...)

Zooglobble: What music did you listen to growing up?
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo: I remember my first tape, a dubbed copy of Beastie Boys License to Ill. It now blows my mind to go back and listen to that album and get the nostalgia echoes from songs that I listened to as a youth without even slightly understanding them. Now I get all the slang and references, everything. But I still remember trying to figure out what "I fly a fat burger when I'm way out west" meant on a 4th grade field trip. And Brass Monkey sounded like a cartoon character. Nope, not at all!

How did you decide being a touring musician was what you wanted to do with your life?
I started with the touring part before the musician part. I grew up in a culture-starved small town in Indiana, and blew that popsicle stand real early. By the time I was 18, I had already taken Greyhound and Amtrak everywhere from New Olreans to Cali to Mexico. After that, I spent a while hitchiking, trainhopping and backpacking all across America. My musical side started with a drum I carried with me, and eventually myself and a friend started freestyle rhyming over the beats we made. By the way, that friend is DJ Mr. Strange a.k.a. ADAM STRANGE, the DJ for 23 Skidoo and my rhyming partner for over 13 years. So, we attracted more weirdos and started busking (street performing) which eventually turned into a hip hop/funk band called GFE. As seasoned travelers, it was no question we would take the show on the road, and we began touring before we hardly even had a set put together. Now it's just in the blood, can't wait to take it international!

What (besides having a child) made you want to record a kids' album?
Besides having a kid, I kinda am a kid, and never lost the awe of magical things. Also, (adult) hip hop culture has a hard time accepting positive rhymes. I guess it's not "real" enough for some. But I believe reality is what you make it, so I've been writing optimistically for my whole career. In the kids music world, positivity is welcomed, and the style I have been working with for over a decade is well respected. I think the grown up world, both hip hop and in general, could use a strong dose of kid-centric awe to battle the cynicism ladeled on heavily by current pop culture. So I push that.

How easy was it to write kid-appropriate rhymes? (Meaning, was it harder because there were some content or language barriers you couldn't cross or easier because it was a whole new frontier?)
For me, it's been really easy and fun to write the kid stuff. At the beginning it was tough, as a rhymer you develop this on-hand artillery of what rhymes with any word, and a lot of those get knocked out, either by the swear factor or just context. What rhymes with people...let's see..."evil"? Can't do that..."needle"? weird connotation, could be taken wrong...."free throw"? 5-year olds won't get it..."Nemo"? good, but I'm not trying to push the corporate world...

You gotta take a lot of things into account. But now, I got the hang of it, now it's easy. Now freestyling at kid shows, that's a bit tougher. I do it, and to date, the worst thing I've let slip is "crap", but it's dangerous.

Do you have any favorite memories from recording with Saki?
So here's how "Family Tree" happened. It started with career day at Saki's kindergarten. I came in with my drum to show the kids what being a rapper was all about, and I'd just written my first kid-hop song, "Gotta Be Me." I didn't yet know how the hook would be recorded. So I did the back and forth hook with her class, and they did so well that a week later, I brought a whole recording set up into her class and did it again, which is the final version.

Not long after that, the first official 23 Skidoo show (though I didn't have that name yet) happened at a roller skating rink. Saki was real adamant about coming up and doing "Gotta Be Me" live, but when it was starting, she was all the way across the rink. And she couldn't skate for squat, though she's pretty good now. So Saki comes soldiering straight across the middle of the rink as the first verse starts, barely able to walk with the skates on, and makes it to the mic just in time to perfectly lay down the hook. That was when I knew she could handle doing a rhyme. Thus, "Family Tree."

Did you find that the Asheville musicians you brought in to record Easy were receptive to the idea of a kids' CD, or did it take some convincing?
First off, let me say that in my wide travels, I have never been to a town like Asheville, and its music scene is a phenomenal anomaly. There are gobs of great musicians here, and they have no problem with trying new styles. Nobody here took any convincing, everyone was excited to do something cool for the kids and put their best foot forward instantly. Easy would not be anything like what it is without the skill, coolness, and musical generosity of Asheville, NC. Nostrovia!!!

What are the challenges you've found in trying to sell the kids' CD and do shows as Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, challenges beyond what you've found for your GFE work? (Or has it been easier?)
The tough thing about touring as a kids musician is if you want to play club gigs as opposed to school shows, you can't tour. You can only do weekends. I'm not against school shows, but the sound system usually sucks, and I'm trying to throw a hip hop show, not a pep rally. And sometimes the teachers like me getting them up to dance and scream, sometimes not. But this ain't Row Your Boat, this is HOT LAVA!!! I believe that club owners will see within the next five years that they can make money on weeknights doing 5:00 kid shows, and more New School Family Musicians will rise up to fill those timeslots. And I'll be right there, on tour for real.

And the easy thing about selling SA23S CDs and booking shows?.... How many GOOD kids rappers you know?

What are a few of your favorite kid-friendly hip-hop disks (not necessarily kid-hop)?
I like Andre 3000's Class of 3000 show and CD, though he doesn't really rap on it very much. The song "I Know I Can" by Nas is probably the most positive song to reach out to kids by a mainstream rapper almost ever, and there's a song by The Coup, "Draws", that tells the truth about the princess myth, and gives some very good advice to a young female about dealing with the world.

What's next for you?
Many good things are afoot. My disk, EASY, is about to be nationally rereleased by Happiness Records on July 14. I went back and reworked 6 of the beats, and now they sound a hundred times better, and I recorded 3 new songs for the new version: "Robots Can't Cry," "I Like Fruit," and "Boogie Man." "Robots Can't Cry" is one of my all time favorites. Also, I just released my first DVD, available at secretagent23skidoo.com, including a whole show, plus videos for "Gotta Be Me" and "Family Tree." The "Family Tree" video is CRAZY!!! Saki got swagger! I'm playing Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits this year, and bringing Saki aka M.C. FIREWORKS and my wife Brooke aka BOOTYSATTVA along for both. I'm also working on some books and a TV show, but all that's on the Secret Agent Highly Classified list right now.

In the long run, I guess I gotta figure out which countries teach their youngsters English early and start filling up my family's passports. More good music, more good traveling, MORE GOOD LIFE!!!

Interview: Kathy O'Connell (Kids Corner)

Sometimes the printed page (or screen) isn't enough. I've admired Kathy O'Connell, the host of the Kids Corner radio show at Philadelphia's WXPN for many reasons. She is in essence the dean of kids music radio, having hosted Kids Corner for more than 20 years (and other shows before that). She is also an absolute riot to be around -- meeting her at StinkFest/KindieFest 2009 was definitely a blast. So I was excited when O'Connell agreed to answer a few questions. Read on -- even if you live nowhere near Philly -- and find out how O'Connell got her start in radio, what she looks for in putting together Kids Corner, and her connection to Vampire Weekend (really).

Zooglobble: What music did you listen to growing up?
Kathy O'Connell: My parents had lots of novelty records, like Spike Jones, Stan Freberg, and Betty Hutton, along with a lot of Sinatra and Dean Martin. When I started buying my own music, I went heavy on the show tunes. The album that had the biggest influence on me growing up was Carol Burnett Remembers How They Stopped the Show. I won talent shows lip-synching her version of “Adelaide’s Lament.” I pretty much had the “novelty” category to myself in the CYO Summer Recreation Talent Shows.

Then, the Beatles came, and I never looked back. I was a British Invasion girl all the way, with a soft spot for novelty tunes. When the Beatles and Soupy Sales were on the same Ed Sullivan show, my brains fell out.

What radio stations and DJs did you listen to growing up?
WABC in New York. Top 40 radio at its best. I had a transistor radio to my ear all the time. The WABC jocks were my first introduction to the possibilities of creative live radio. I think people look upon radio as a conduit to music instead of an art in itself. The WABC jocks were entertainers who happened to play records. A good live radio artist is a like a good jazz musician. They can roll with anything and make it entertaining. And the intimacy of radio leaves such an imprint. I can still sing the theme songs for Scott Muni and “Cousin” Bruce Morrow more than 40 years later.

My favorite DJ, then and forever, was Dan Ingram. He did 2-6 pm on WABC. He was the most creative voice on the radio. And when he needed to, when a news story warranted it, he was serious. Dan Ingram had the mix of funny and serious down perfectly. Listening to WABC back then, you felt like you were part of a bigger community. So, it was a big deal when Cousin Brucie’s son Dana John (DJ) was born, and we got swept up in the “Principal of the Year Contest” every year. I even nominated the awful principal we had at St. Hugh’s. We weren’t successful.

When did you first realize that you wanted to work in radio? When did you start doing kids radio -- it wasn't exactly planned, was it?
WBAI in New York City changed my life when I volunteered to answer phones during their fund drive, right after the accident at Three Mile Island. From the first moment I walked into the station, it was “honey, I’m home” time. WBAI was where I learned how to create radio, thanks to an incredible community of people who are still my family. The “reception riffraff” as we dubbed ourselves worked for free, kept the station running and pretty much made ourselves indispensable. No matter how annoying we were, they could never get rid of us. I was in what was then the “Live Radio Department,” where I learned from people like Lynn Samuels (now on Sirius-XM).

I worked my way into my own late night show (“Rosebud”) from running the elevator on weekends. The elevator operator was licensed to sign on the transmitter for those who couldn’t. The Saturday night midnight reggae show guy was late a lot, so I started filling in with something I called “The Waiting for Habte Show.” A jolly mix of comedy, music, and whatever I could blend together on the fly. I worked all week on sets of music and bits, betting that Habte would run late. Eventually, I got my own overnight show on WBAI until I moved to California for a couple of years and worked in commercial radio.

The “Waiting for Habte” experience helped prepare me for the evening I got into kids’ radio. I was board operator (engineer) at WNYC in New York in 1983, having just returned from California. One night, about 15 minutes before the kids’ show, “Small Things Considered” was set to air, the hosts came storming into the studio and started pulling records and supplies off the shelves, having a tantrum. Since I grew up among crazy people, I just sat back and watched it happen.

They left, and several people in suits came in. One guy said, “we need you to help us out,” since the kids’ show hosts had walked. I said, “I’ll help you if you let me talk.” And thus, a career was born. “Small Things Considered” (3 hours a day, locally) became “Kids America (90 minutes a day, nationally), with a huge budget and lots of staff. “Kids America” was cancelled on Christmas Eve 1987. Luckily, the manager of our Philadelphia affiliate (WXPN) called me when the cancellation was announced, and asked me if I’d like to try to do a kids’ radio show by myself on WXPN. More luckily, I didn’t have to do it by myself. The second night of Kids Corner, Robert Drake showed up to volunteer on the show. He’s been there ever since, producing Kids Corner. Otherwise, I might have had to learn to work for a living. I said, “I’ll give Philly a year.” That was 21 years ago and counting.

Do you think kids music has really improved here in the past decade, or is it just a case of new ears and a new way of getting the music out to the masses? In other words, are we just repeating things people were saying 10 or 15 years ago?
Yes and no. Barry Louis Polisar was writing goofy songs like “Don’t Put Your Finger Up Your Nose” and putting out independent records 25 years ago. Peter Alsop’s songs like “My Body” empowered kids before schools had anti-bullying programs. These are independent artists who are still producing. Trout Fishing in America built on that foundation, and their success has resulted in what we’re hearing now. We’re now getting music created by the kids who grew up on Polisar and Trout. Kids who expect a level of humor and to be treated like people, not babies. Trout Fishing in America brings the same goofy sensibilities to their kids’ music that they brought to their all-ages stuff. They joke about “the very exclusive Trout Records label,” but they set the stage for today’s kindie musicians. I believe strongly that the best kids’ bands are made up of musicians from bar bands because they learn how to play with all kinds of distractions. The difference is what kind of bottle is being thrown at you.

The big difference between now and 15 years ago is that there are more people who write about and share family music regularly. Instead of some newspaper writer “discovering” the whole world of music for kids when the writer becomes a parent, it has become obvious that there’s great music being created all the time. The expectations of the audience has changed with the availability of great family music.

What song qualities do you think tend to do well on Kids Corner?
Funny, funny, funny. The Number One song for the last five years has been the incredibly silly “The Cheese Song” by Bubboon’s Tunes. Rhythmic is great as well. “Gotta Be Me” by Secret Agent 23 Skiddoo and “My Name is Joe” by Bill Wellington are huge Kids Corner hits. I’m still playing the same “Weird” Al and Allan Sherman songs I’ve been playing for 25 years. A friend once described my job as: “You play ‘Fish Heads,’ you play ‘Star Trekkin.’ You play ‘Star Trekkin,’ you play ‘Fish Heads.’” Those two songs were hits on “Kids America” 25 years ago, and they still wind up in our annual Top 10 regularly.

I look for songs that are relevant to my topics on Kids Corner. I use a lot of library songs because I have a “Bookmobile” segment. I have a weekly science hour, so astronomy songs always work. Luckily, the pool includes new artists like Justin Roberts’ “Backyard Spaceship” as well as classics like Louis Prima’s “Beep Beep” from the 1950’s.

Do you consciously set aside a certain amount of your setlist for local artists? Is that part of your mission?
Music is only a third of Kids Corner. There’s equal emphasis on call-ins and kids’ participation as well as my ramblings and jokes. I have slots for 6 songs a day, and two of those are devoted to the nightly music challenge. Within that tight framework, I try to play local artists when they’ll fit. But giving airplay to local artists isn’t a major part of my mission. My mission is to entertain my audience. If a local act like Ernie & Neal can do that with a song about “Macaroni and Cheese,” I’ll play it. But geography doesn’t guarantee the music will be any good or that it will work for Kids Corner. I have a Family Calendar on our website to promote local performances, and I have a list of local performers handy when I’m asked to recommend musicians for local venues and festivals. So, while I don’t consciously try to devote a portion of my show to local artists, I try to make information available so my audience can go out and support local folks.

Something I’m seeing now is that kids who grew up listening to and performing on Kids Corner on my “On Stage” segment are now in bands. The drummer of Vampire Weekend had his first performance on Kids Corner. Philly groups like Cheers Elephant and Hoots & Hellmouth have roots in Kids Corner. So, I feel like I’m supporting local musicians in a very special way. They’re my kids!

What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing a relatively short program, but doing it four nights a week?
In the same way classic kids’ TV shows (like “The Soupy Sales Show”) were consistently in the same place every night, kids can count on Kids Corner marking their time during the week. I’ve had parents tell me they use Kids Corner as bait to get homework finished. Or that kids know it’s bedtime when Kids Corner is over at 8. I have to condense a lot into that one hour per night, but when it works, it’s great.

My primary example of how powerful that one hour a night can be is the success of Trout Fishing in America. I started playing them when “Big Trouble” was first on cassette. Word got to them that “this woman on the radio in Philadelphia has gone crazy for you.” Keith Grimwood tells the story of schlepping his huge bass up the stairs to our old WXPN studios, all the while grumbling, “kids radio? Who ever heard of kids’ radio?” Well, this little kids’ radio show built them into a huge regional hit in the Delaware Valley, and that in turn helped spread the word to other audiences. This was the first market where their kids’ music became more popular than their regular stuff.

You know Soupy Sales -- how did that come about and how's he doing?
Basically, my friends and I stalked him when we were kids. If you’ve ever seen the movies The World of Henry Orient and The King of Comedy, my teenage years were a combination of those two movies. A community of 50 or so regulars grew among the kids who came to see Soupy’s show on Channel 5 in the ‘60’s. In that simpler time, my mother let me take the train from Long Island to his shows in NYC regularly. After Soupy’s show ended, some of his “gang” continued to go to his appearances, hang out in front of his house, even go to the airport when he went out of town. A friend and I even went to Atlanta to see Soupy in the play “Finian’s Rainbow” in 1968! I spent my college money on that, which didn’t go over very well in my house. Given what I wound up doing for a living, I say to him all the time: “Thank God I’ve wasted my life on you.” I have two Peabody awards because I followed that man!

Soupy is 83 years old, and in spite of serious health challenges in the past few years, he is doing really well. Last October, the University of the Arts in Philadelphia honored his role in preserving jazz history. Thanks to Soupy, the only existing video of trumpeter Clifford Brown exists. The thrill for me was that Soupy and his wife came to Philly for it, and I did a presentation about his jazz show in Detroit in the 1950’s. We’ve done several events together, and he beams like a proud dad. It’s really great. Soupy introduced me to jazz because he had to use his own record collection for the music on his show, so Herbie Mann’s “Comin’ Home Baby” was “Gunninger’s Theme.” And “Mumbles” by Oscar Peterson and Clark Terry was the theme for Pookie the lion. I play “Mumbles” on Kids Corner! Thanks, Soupy.

One of my listeners dressed up as me last Halloween. I gave her a Soupy Sales pin to wear, and she said one thing she learned was “that grownups love Soupy Sales and will give you more candy if you’re wearing a Soupy Sales pin.” I’m introducing him to a new generation.

What's coming up next for you and Kids Corner?
WXPN’s big event is our XPoNential Music Festival July 24-26 on the Camden (NJ) waterfront. Kids Corner takes over the Camden Children’s Garden, where we present family music from noon-6 for the weekend. It’s a great chance to meet my listeners and their families. And I have lots of visits from the “grownup” part of the Festival from kids who grew up on Kids Corner. And cool stuff happens that embody Kids Corner, like when our “Nature Walk” woman Jane Kirkland discovered butterfly eggs on a milkweed stalk across from my table. All weekend, she took families on a tour of discovery, including those butterfly eggs. Who recognizes butterfly eggs? These are the people I know….it’s great to be me.

Robert Drake has expanded the Kids Corner website to include archived programs, podcasts, and information about all our Kids Corner folks. I tell people I basically know one thing: you turn on the microphone, and I talk. And talk. Robert and the crew at WXPN are inventive about finding ways to share my talking with the world. So, I’m sure there are new technological advances in the works for Kids Corner. But they know better than to tell me about them until I need to know.

Interview: Tito Uquillas (The Hipwaders)

Guitarist and songwriter Tito Uquillas of the Bay Area band The Hipwaders has always struck me as almost as much a fan of great kids music and music in general as a creator of great kids music. Indeed, in an unrelated conversation about traveling around the country to shows such as Kidzapalooza and the Sirius-XM Studios, Uquillas said "We just need our costs covered as we don't care about making money. We're in it for the adventure!"

Even with that comment, Uquillas has also been a little more upfront than many in the kids music genre about the sometimes challenging economics of being a musician in the 21st century. He recently answered a few questions about his musical background, the economics of his band, and what it's like to have a song of yours accompany a show on catfish noodling.

Zooglobble: What music did you listen to growing up?
Tito Uquillas: I think it's telling that my earliest memory is a musical one of my aunt singing Petula Clark's "Downtown" as she would walk us to the downtown area of the town we lived. My father is from Ecuador and had quite an eclectic record collection. Besides hearing a lot of Ecudaorean music artists, I was exposed to what now would be termed as "world music." He also had an extensive collection of soundtracks. I found the soundtracks extremely interesting and loved hearing the zither of "The Third Man Theme" and the bouzouki of "Zorba the Greek."

When I was 8 years old I saw The Beatles' movie Help! on TV and became infatuated with the band. Every few weeks I would buy a Beatles album by saving my milk money and doing odd jobs like polishing my Dad's shoes.

As a teenager I was corrupted by Lenny Kayes' Nuggets compilation and my taste in music turned away from mainstream. I loved the high energy raw sounds of music from Stax/Volt soul to punk rock and new wave music. I would buy every Stiff Records and Two-Tone import 45 I could lay my hands on. It didn't matter if I knew the band or not.

How hard is it combining your day job (or perhaps it's a night job depending on your shifts) with your Hipwaders work?
I can't imagine having a regular 9 to 5 job and have a band. As a paramedic, I work 24-hour shifts for 10 days a month which allows for a lot of time off. Also, I work out of a station where I'm able to rehearse and take care of band business if I'm not on a call.

You touched a bit on why you released an EP (with Goodie Bag) -- can you expand on the music industry changes that led you to release an EP rather than a full release?
I realize that very few physical albums are being sold unless it's by a popular act on a major label. In the childrens' music world there is still a demand for a physical product as kids enjoy a tangible representation of the music. I know my kids like to see pictures of the band or artwork and that it increases their listening experience. I feel there will always be a need for the physical product but also see that the ease and portability of downloadable music is undeniable and inevitable.

Relatively speaking, we really don't make a lot of money as a band. We're not on TV and we don't know how we could possibly tour and balance our day jobs and family life (which for me is priority #1). Therefore, recording an entire album is pretty cost-prohibitive and also takes a long time to produce due to time spent rehearsing and arranging parts. In our case, it's much better to record a few songs, get them out faster and get back out performing live. Also, I hate having to worry about arranging and mixing over a dozen songs at a time. It hurts my brain!

What do those changes mean for the creative output of your band -- does it change what you record? Does it give you more or less freedom?
If time and money weren't such a factor, I would much rather record an album. With an album - as evidenced by what we've recorded - I like having song snippets, transitional interludes and reprises. I've always loved hearing artists create an "album" that takes its time to create a flow. With the way music is now distributed it's like a novelist being forced to write short stories. I still am trying to create the album effect in twenty minutes but realize that it may be a lost cause as people will download the songs they like and put them in random order.

In rough order, can you rank the following categories of the band's revenue -- Gig payments, gig CD sales, non-gig CD sales, mp3 sales, non-CD merch, performance royalties eg Sirius-XM, other -- from most to least?
For us, it's:
1. Gig payments
2. Performance royalties (Thank you, XM. Strangely, we never had any airplay on Sirius...what gives?) Also TV licensing through Pump Audio which is now owned by Getty Images. My biggest thrill was hearing our "Howling at the Moon" on Samantha Brown's Travel Channel show. I've also had a friend call me to say he heard one of our songs on a show where people were catfish noodling (sticking your hand in the mud and waiting for the fish to bite you). It may be less than a thousand dollars a year in royalties and no recognition, but it's fun to hear our music on dozens of TV shows.
3. Gig CD Sales.
4. Non-CD merch sales
5. Our non-CD gig sales and mp3 downloads are really quite low... unfortunately.

I've always put any royalties and most of our gig money back into the band to pay for recording, merchandise and promotion. A lot of acts have to worry about getting a large enough fee to pay each member of the band whereas we really don't have to worry about that. Knowing we're not going broke enables us to take all sorts of gigs. We'll play non-paying gigs if exposure is good and there's a chance to sell merchandise. The "all for one and one for all" attitude keeps everyone happy and focused on just producing music.

How did you stay focused on Christmas music even after the Christmas season?
I started a blog, Kindie Christmas, and have been trying to post stuff about Christmas, and stuff that may not be about Christmas but gives me the same sort of feeling. I check out all the Christmas music and discover lots of fascinating music and personalities. I love learning about the different songwriters who've written Christmas music and learn a little something about their lives.

Can you give us a little preview of the disk -- are they covers, originals, some mix of the two?
It'll be all original. I was surprised to find only about 3 or 4 other contemporary kid music artists have recorded Christmas albums. Christmas music is truly "family music" and I really thought there would have been more music out there. The album - for the most part - is actually somewhat more rocking and heavier in tone than our regular songs and even more eclectic in musical styles with funk, rockabilly, our usual powerpop and probably the first Christmas song in a cumbia style. It'll be interesting to see how it's received.

I realized it wasn't practical to also record the eight or so Christmas cover tunes we perform as I really don't want to deal with the licensing headaches involved in recording cover tunes. I would love to record the covers as some point as I think we have some nifty arrangements of Christmas songs that aren't usually covered and give them away as gifts to fans. That'd truly be the Christmas thing to do.

You've been a vocal supporter of Frances England's music -- any other kids artists your family particularly enjoys? What else do you listen to with your kids?
It's always about the song. For me, Frances' songwriting seems so natural and "uncrafted". Her music is a perfect combination of melodies, lyrics and voice that create a certain vibe. It's hard to write great, simple songs and it's a rare quality I find in artists I love like Buddy Holly.

As far as other kid music artists my family and I enjoy, I'll have to be as diplomatic as I can as I am friends with many of them and to name one may hurt another's feelings (you already named Frances so I can't help that!). I will say that when I was dragged kicking and screaming into playing music for kids I searched around for other artists that were taking the rock band approach to see if there was even a market for it. I quickly found Ralph's World and my boys really enjoyed his music and The Hipwaders even used to cover several of his songs before we built up our repertoire.

Before I dived into the world of kids' music I would make mix tapes for my boys consisting of "adult" artists like Jonathan Richman, Devo and the Bonzo Dog Band. Therefore, my boys' tastes run into the more quirky, demented realm of kids music such as They Might Be Giants, The Telephone Company, Twink's Broken Record and the Hoodwinked soundtrack. They also like Recess Monkey, Justin Roberts, Scribblemonster - acts that take more of the rock-oriented approach to kids music.

What's next for the Hipwaders (besides the Christmas disk)?
We love performing live and we're working on getting more gigs to bring our music to more people. We'd also like to make some more videos.

I'm constantly in touch with other Bay Area acts and other people interested in improving the local scene and there is some hope. A local venue, the Ashkenaz in Berkeley, has expanded their family music series and if audiences show up the club will realize they can have acts every weekend of the year and be a family music destination like Jammin' Java in Virginia.

Interview: The KC Jiggle Jam

Reminder: Go here by tonight for a chance to win free Jiggle Jam stuff -- you don't have to live anywhere near KC to enjoy the shirt, hat, and compilation CD!

I was totally impressed with the lineup for the 2009 KC Jiggle Jam, to be held this upcoming Memorial Day weekend. When I saw Jeni and Jim Cosgrove at KindieFest 2009 in Brooklyn a couple weeks ago, having as much fun if not more so than the kids on hand, I had some small idea of the enthusiasm and passion the two of them bring toward putting together a most excellent kids music festival. But I also wanted to get a sense of just how much work and planning putting on an event like takes. So I decided to ask them (in the midst of their final preparations). Jeni and Jim, along with Keli Wenzel, answered a few questions about Jiggle Jam's past, present, and future...

Zooglobble What was the genesis of the Jiggle Jam?
Jeni Cosgrove: Jiggle Jam Family Music Festival is a non-profit, 501c3 agency committed to gathering generations and communities together to experience musical performances and educational activities in a positive atmosphere that the entire family can enjoy.

The idea of Jiggle Jam began with three people who shared the same vision, Jim and Jeni Cosgrove and Keli O'Neill Wenzel. Jim has been leading the children's music scene in Kansas City for more than a decade. Jeni Cosgrove has been there right beside him as a wife, booking agent, tour manager, and event planner. Jeni had successfully organized five smaller children's music festivals prior to Jiggle Jam. Keli Wenzel works under the umbrella of O'Neill Communications, a public relations, marketing and event management firm. Keli is also the Executive Director of the highly successful Kansas City Irish Fest -- the city's biggest and most awesome festival.

After casually discussing a family music fest for several years, the three of us finally sat down together one day in September 2007, and decided to make it a reality. Crown Center, a shopping, dining, and hotel complex adjacent to the headquarters for Hallmark Cards, gave us the push we needed. They too wanted to see some kind of family festival on their grounds. They knew Keli made it happen with Irish Fest, and they knew Jim and I could pull together some of the best acts in children's music.

Jim Cosgrove: Jeni and I produced our own music fest -- Family Peace Jamboree -- for three years. It was all local acts performing on a big stage in a local school parking lot. It was successful (about 1,000 people the first year) and a lot of work. Just when we decided we couldn't do it by ourselves anymore, Hallmark/Crown Center approached Keli and us about creating a signature event for them.

Crown Center has the perfect festival facilities. Keli knows festivals (and how to squeeze corporate dollars) better than anyone. Jeni and I know family music, and we know what families want and how artists deserved to be treated. It's a winning combination.

Jeni: The three of us reached out to more close friends and formed a tight board of directors who pounded the pavement, reached out to the community, and made the details come together. It's a team effort.
How many folks attended the first Jiggle Jam in 2008?
Jeni: The inaugural Jiggle Jam Family Music Fest at Crown Center was tons of fun. It took place over Memorial Day Weekend 2008. The entertainment was fabulous, and the turnout (23,000 kids, moms, dad, aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends!) was fantastic. Kids and parents listened to great music (including a crowd of over 6000 just for They Might Be Giants), bounced on the inflatables, participated in the workshops and left with huge smiles on their faces. Jiggle Jam sold over 100 hotel rooms at the sponsoring hotels, with visitors coming from 16 states.

What did you learn about festivals from last year's festival, and how did that change -- if at all -- what you did for this second go-round?
Jim: I learned (yet again) that you can't please everyone, so don't fret trying. And if something works, don't tweak it too much. When guys like Tom Chapin and Keith and Ezra from Trout (who have 30 + years of experience in family entertainment) tell you that this is the best festival they've EVER been to, then we must have done something well. Jeni's good about reminding me to keep doing what works and keep doing what we do well.

Keli Wenzel: There were few surprises because of our knowledge and experience with outdoor festivals. All along we knew that we were targeting much smaller children and hoped to add more "tween" attractions. This year we have tweaked the American Heart Association tent to gear more towards the older children, with Dance, Dance Revolution, line dance lessons, play station corner and musical chairs. In addition we added a activity area that will have a group called Theatre of Imagination orchestrate rock videos, as well as Funky Munkey music that will have instrument lessons. Other than that, we did not change much - just preparing for larger crowds

Do you have any guess as to what percentage of the attendees were there primarily to see the "national" acts (e.g., TMBG) and what percentage were there primarily to see the more regional acts (e.g., Jim, Funky Mama, etc.)?
Jeni: It was definitely a combination. I strongly believe that without the local acts, we might not have drawn as big of a crowd. Kansas City has an emerging family music scene that reflects the flavor of the Midwest. Our local acts like Funky Mama, Dino O'Dell, The Doo-Dads, Bongo Barry, The Jazz Storytellers, and Jim Cosgrove all have their different followings. We knew each act would attract a crowd even if we did not have a national act like TMBG. But, while we had Kansas City's attention, we wanted to add some surprises into the mix. So, we looked for bands that had a following in Kansas City, and that people did not normally have the chance to see on a regular basis, like Justin Roberts, TMBG, Trout, etc. Some people came out not knowing some of the national acts, but they felt this must be something good if all the local acts were involved.

What do you and the Jiggle Jam board look for when finding artists?
Jeni: The acts we book truly reflect the various tastes of our board, which we feel represents what the communities want to see. We look for acts that are energetic and will get families up and dancing together. This is not a festival where the entertainment is just for kids. The whole idea is that families participate in the concert experience together. We also look for acts that provide interactive and educational programs for our "Kool-skool" workshop tents.

Jim: My philosophy has always been that I am not the star of the show -- the kids are the stars of the show. And I like to find other entertainers who perform with that in mind.

Do you have any estimate of the number of work hours the organizers (ie., you and the rest of the board) put in order to make the festival happen?
Jenil: Hundreds (perhaps thousands) of hours go into organizing Jiggle Jam. I don't think anyone has totaled up the hours. But, I can tell you from September - May we work on Jiggle Jam daily. By February we are meeting 2-3 times a month as a board and committee. Keli and I are in contact with each other weekly, and sometimes daily from March until the day of the festival. From April - May I will spend several hours a day on Jiggle Jam-related work.

Jim: More hours than most people would be willing to not get paid for.

What aspirations do you have for Jiggle Jam in the future?
Jeni: We want to show Kansas City that Jiggle Jam will continue to provide affordable family entertainment that rocks, whether they are national, local, or emerging acts.

Jim: We want to make Kansas City a cradle of solid family music. We want people to think of KC as the home of good barbeque, swinging jazz, and awesome family music. We've got our own solid home-grown scene here now, and we want to continue to attract regional and national acts. And we're centrally located, so it's easy to drop by.

I think we'll see Jiggle Jam continue to grow as a destination event for families from all over the country.

Keli: We also want to grow it to be a regional destination for families on Memorial Day weekend. So far we have booked over 175 rooms at the hotel and still counting. We want Jiggle Jam to become one of Kansas City's favorite festivals.

Interview: Chris Ballew (Caspar Babypants)

Chris Ballew is probably most familiar to folks of my generation as one of the guys behind the Presidents of the United States of America, who came out of the Pacific Northwest and had a number of alternative rock hits in the mid-'90s. And while the Presidents are still going strong (Ballew answered these questions in the midst of a European tour with the Presidents), he's turning some of his attention to making music for the younger set via Caspar Babypants.

If the giddiness of his debut Here I Am! album or his series of YouTube videos hasn't convinced you how excited Ballew is by his efforts in the family music genre, this interview will.

Zooglobble: What did you listen to or play instrument-wise growing up?
Chris Ballew: I guess I was a bit of a piano wonder kid. I started with a pro teacher when I was 4 and went until I was 14 and discovered the awesome power and majesty of the ELECTRIC GUITAR! Then it all changed focus but I still have the piano in my bones.

What artists influenced you as a musician in the Presidents?
The Beatles, Boston, Lenny Kravitz, The Stooges, and Weird Al. I wanted to make a Frankenstein’s monster of all those artists and I think I actually did it. So it has the love and peace intent of the Beatles, the arena rock swagger (it's in there!) of Boston, the clean articulate simple production of Lenny Kravitz (the early stuff), the fuzz and scrape of the Stooges, and the oddball lyrics of Weird Al.

You've been making music for kids and families on a more low-key level for a while now -- how did that come about? What artists influenced your work here?
I donated a record to an organization called PEPS in 2002. They get groups of new moms together to share experiences information and fears with a group facilitator. Part of that experience is singing with the babies and I made a record that they could sell to their participants and others to raise money and use for sing alongs in meetings. At the time I was knee deep in DJ culture and sampling and I just forgot about it!

Then in 2008 my girlfriend Kate Endle who is a children’s book illustrator and artist inspired me with her work to write some songs for a potential book project with her and that effort just EXPLODED into song after song after song and research into old nursery rhymes. I felt again the mellow ease of recording and playing music for little babies and it all felt link a NEW home in the way the band did in 1993. I could go on for pages explaining how this music is IN MY SOUL and how I feel at ease in this effort but I better keep it short!

Elizabeth Mitchell is the main influence for me. Her simple playful delivery and respect for the old songs are great. I met her and Daniel Littleton a few months ago and we have exchanged emails and it is my dream to record a song or two with them.

What gave you the final push to record Here I Am! and all the new records you're promising?
Just pure love of the making of the music! I can have days where I write AND record multiple songs in a day. I have touched some nerve, or as I like to imagine it, a river of inspiration that comes along rarely in the life of a creative person. I feel so good in the music that I cant stop making it and I see the songs come alive in a way I havent for years.

How was/is the process of writing and recording Caspar Babypants music different than doing so for adults?
Well in many ways it is still very ME. I still write using bug and animal and fantasy imagery but there is no layer of “grown-up-ness” or irony added. And I gotta say that it is a relief. Its also a reason why I feel like I could go on doing kids music for a LONG time. I all feels more sustainable and having that connection to old songs and rhymes and folk traditions makes it feel timeless and removed from the pop culture machine that I sometimes find myself uncomfortable in with grown up rock.

You've recently started playing Caspar Babypants shows -- what do you like about it and what have you found to be challenging?
Well I have only done ONE show so far and it was too short and I wanted more immediately! I have a ton of ideas for the shows like writing songs live with kids and multiple instruments that I hop around on and lyrics for singing along projected behind me. But I gotta work up to it all.

I am developing a TV show as well that will be a collaborative song writing experience with kids from all over the world. Kids will give me lyrics or key words or stories and each week I will turn 4-5 of them in to songs and perform them and show little movies and cartoons.

I should note that part of me feels that the real PURPOSE of the music I am making is to soothe the frazzled nerves of parents and kids at home and in the car and I see the live thing as a bit of an afterthought so I'm not sure how that will all develop. I love thinking about that hectic environment and how I can add melody and imagery to the day to day life of a new family. It is very inspiring.

What music do you listen to with your family?
MY OWN! The kids are constantly helping with the songs in the background and my son has recently written some excellent songs that we are recording together. They each have iPods and they disappear into that space a lot and come out singing Beatles and Nirvana songs.

From the perspective of making a living as a musician, how do you see making music for families fitting in -- is it a sideline, or do you think it could be a major component of day-to-day work?
My goal is to have the CASPAR BABYPANTS thing be my main gig in a few years. The band still has work to do but I see my passion for the fever pitch of the rock band dwindling over time or settling into a low gear for good. I dream of the day when I have all this music bottled up inside me out into the world!

What's next for you and Caspar Babypants?
BIG QUESTION! First of all more music. I have SO many songs and albums that I am working on at the same time. they include: a new album of traditional and original songs, a Beatles cover record, a record of stories by kids narrated with musical backgrounds, a parody record of classic songs rewritten for babies, a Christmas album that will be half originals and half covers and and and and.... I just want this thing to slowly grow and be a positive loving sound in a cluttered busy world.

Chris Ballew photo by Josie Ballew