This is a historic year for the Recording Academy, with several structural reforms aimed at making the voting process more equitable and inclusive. The Best Children's Album category is no different. All five Best Children's Album nominees are artists of color whose music reaches a new generation of music lovers.
I had a chance to interview three of them about making children's music.
Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis - www.luckydiazmusic.com
Why did you get involved in creating children's music?
What a great question! I (Lucky) was already a session musician in Los Angeles when we had our first daughter. Our eldest daughter was four (she's now eighteen). During bath time we wrote songs together to show her that creating art was fun and easy. We then started singing these songs at family gatherings. It turned out kids really liked the songs. We've been doing this now for more than a decade, and we have created several albums and other kinds of media (a TV show, music videos, books and shows) that we share with families every day. We've won awards like a Latin GRAMMY, an EMMY, several parenting awards and now the GRAMMY nomination. But, the response from fans is what matters to us the most. Our latest musical release is the bilingual Crayon Kids. and our newest books are She Loves Me All The Same and Paletero Man.
How can parents find great music for their whole family to enjoy together?
There's so many ways to discover wonderful family music these days. Sirius XM Kids Place Live and community radio shows like WXPN's Kids Corner, KUTx's Spare the Rock, Young at Heart, the Children's Hour and the Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl do a great job of spinning great songs. Additionally, some streaming platforms like Spotify really showcase great music. Although, my favorite is putting on a Beatles album. That's the best family music ever recorded.
What's your favorite thing about being a children's music artist?
We love having an opportunity to introduce sounds, songs and language to children for the first time. It's an incredible gift to see them react to music we create. Being part of that experience is truly inspiring! We can't wait to get out on the road again and perform with and for kids and their grownups again soon.
123 Andrés - www.123andres.com
Andrés Salguero and Christina Sanabria
Why did you get involved in creating children's music?
Andrés: I started creating music as a kid, in Bogotá, Colombia. I started in a children’s group at age six and I continued studying music, specifically classical clarinet, until I got a Doctorate in Clarinet Performance!
But while I was studying, I was also playing in other bands, doing lots of different styles of music. One day I was hired to sub in for a sax player in a children’s performer’s band - Dino O’Dell, in Kansas City. I had so much fun that I continued playing in Dino’s band and learning from him. After getting my Doctorate, I decided that instead of working for a university or orchestra I wanted to spend my career performing for kids and families.
Plus, I met Christina, who at the time was a classroom teacher in public schools. With her background and experience in education, and with her also speaking Spanish and being the child of immigrants from Latin America, it was the perfect synergy for us.
We knew we could offer music, concerts and books in Spanish and English that reflect the day-to-day life for so many kiddos growing up bicultural in the US, so we decided to create our own band!
How can parents find great music for their whole family to enjoy together?
Christina: Some people have heard the idea that listening to Beethoven will make babies smart. Nothing against Beethoven (Andrés played a lot of beautiful Beethoven pieces in my classical clarinet days!) but that’s not the only music that benefits young ears. Many different kinds of music, from all parts of the world, have interesting things to listen to – whether it’s polyrhythm, lyrics, harmonies, virtuoso playing, or something else that makes it excellent and fun.
We love mixing up genres, so we have lots of different folkloric genres on our albums – from norteño from Mexico, to chacarera from Argentina. At the end of the day, we encourage families to explore lots of different kinds of music, and to seek out creators from different countries, ethnicities, languages and cultural traditions.
Two recent releases we love, by artists who focus on kids’ music, are Family Tree, by FYÜTCH; and Tu Rockcito Filarmónico, by Tu Rockcito.
What's your favorite thing about being a children's music artist?
Andrés: It’s a real privilege to be able to make music for kids! We love performing, and kids are a great audience. We love getting messages or videos from families and teachers, showing how they are singing our songs and learning as well. We’ve heard from families that we helped them through the pandemic, or that we helped their child learn to read (with our Spanish-language phonics album Canta las Letras)...
Christina: One time, we got an email from a parent about their kiddo who had earned a reward for “graduating” from potty training. And what did the child want as their reward? A red strap for their ukulele, just like Andrés has on his guitar! Andrés: So it’s really special to know that we are impacting kids and families in such a profound way. That’s our favorite thing.
1Tribe Collective
Co-producer and artist Aaron Nigel Smith www.1tribecollective.com
Why did you get involved in creating children's music?
I create music for children and families because it felt like a true calling. When I’m teaching, performing or producing music with kids, I’m sharing the best of myself and hopefully inspiring the next generation of community leaders.
How can parents find great music for their whole family to enjoy together?
That is really the key for me! Creating music that the whole family can enjoy together is top of mind when I’m in the studio. The All One Tribe album is a wonderful introduction to dozens of Black artists working in the children's music space. The tracks reflect a range of musical styles and voices. As parents search for music that will resonate for their families, I encourage staying true to yourselves. There is a wealth of diverse and amazing music for kids and families. Whether you like folk, pop, country, hip-hop, or reggae -- there are artists in the family music space that you can enjoy. YouTube Kids is a great resource for safe family friendly content. Kids Place Live (channel 78) on SiriusXM and Wee Nation Radio are other great places to hear up-and-coming family music performers. Many public libraries offer a variety of children's music for families to enjoy, too.
What's your favorite thing about being a children's music artist?
My favorite thing about being a children’s music artist is looking out to an audience of of families and friends who are taking the time to sing, dance, and play together. There’s nothing more beautiful.
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