Laurie Berkner is an award winning and best selling children’s music artist. She has been in the music industry for about 20 years, writing and singing her own children’s songs. She started out as a preschool music teacher, and has worked her way to becoming the first artist to appear in music videos on Nick Jr. Recently, she has been busy creating her new class, “Music in Me,” and getting ready to release a new album!
How did the class, “Music in Me” come about?
Well I started out in the classroom as a music specialist and also teaching mommy and me. When I moved away from that, it was because I was recording music, selling CD’s, and doing concerts because I wanted to be able to reach more kids and I found it really fun! I was noticing that I was receiving feedback that a lot of people were using my songs. People approached me saying, “can I take all your music and make a me and my grown up time kind of curriculum?” and I realized if that was gonna happen I wanted do it myself because I have pretty strong feelings about how adults should interact with kids in a classroom setting so I decided to make my own program.
What can parents and children expect from the class when they enroll?
Lots of movement and lots of fun! There will be some public domains but most of the music will be from my catalog. They can also expect good responses and energetic teachers. At each place there will be something different.
*Third Street– section of exploring with instruments (especially percussion).
*Freshmade– half music, half cooking class.
*Children’s Museum– incorporates some of the things going on in the museum.
*Art Farm– half an hour of music and 15 minutes of a petting zoo with their petting zoo downstairs
Will the music in the class be old music or songs from your new album?
There will be a couple new ones but mostly there will be songs that people will know if they come to my concerts.
What are your goals of the class?
One big part of it is to make sure that when kids come there, they have fun and they have fun making music with other kid, with their caretakers, and with their teacher. I really want kids to come to the class to feel ownership over the music, to feel confident and happy to be expressing themselves in the classroom setting, and enjoying music so that when they are 4 and not taking classes anymore music is something that is a fun place to go to and organically feels good to them.
What is your favorite part about writing music for children?
I really like knowing that when I hit on something that feels like I would’ve liked it as a kid and I like it as an adult that I’ve tapped into something that is universal and I love that feeling of being able to find those connections between kids and adults and the kids inside the adults. I feel like writing that type of music, it takes a lot of paying attention to that and I like bringing out that part of me that it childlike.
What inspired you to start writing music for kids?
It was because I was a music specialist. At fist I was just pulling songs that I found in books or albums and then what inspired me was that they weren’t working! Kids would say, “this is boring,” or half of them wouldn’t pay attention so I would be like, “what do you want to sing about?” So I started to make up songs that were more relevant to them that gave them a structure on how to move their bodies but do it safely and in a way that is fun without hitting each other!
You have a new album coming out, are you excited for that?
Yeah! I feel like it’s been a very full year. The Lullaby album came out a couple months ago and now we’re putting together a second best of. It’s all set to go we’re just waiting for it to be made and released.
The new album, The Ultimate Laurie Berkner Band Collection, will be out in October
What can we expect from this new album?
A whole bunch of other greatest hit kind of songs! At the end I have a couple of new versions of hits that haven’t really ben on albums before. There are 3 bonus tracks, one is a remake of a song I did with a full band, one is a song that was never on an album, and a new extended version.
Do you still perform concerts? What’s that like for you?
I do, a lot. It’s really fun it’s hard to be away from home on the weekends but when I’m actually doing the show I have a really great time. Also I really enjoy meeting the kids if we have a meet and greet afterwards its really nice to have one-on-one time with the kids.
What’s next for you?
Along with everything we just talked about, I am also writing the music to a family musical that will be opening in November called, “The Amazing Adventures of Harvey and The Princess.” It will be at an off-Broadway theater on 43rd street called, Theatre Three.
The classes are filling up fast so find a day and time that works best for you and sign up soon!
Based on the location of the classes, your child will be put into a certain class depending on age. Goldfish are 12- 24 months, Dinosaurs are 2-3 years old, and at Freshmade, Dinosaurs are children ages 2-4 years old.
For more information check out Laurie Berkner’s website.
