Rebecca's Interviews: Laurie Berkner

Rebecca:  Who are the members of your band? Please introduce yourselves…

Laurie:  The Laurie Berkner Band is Bobby Golden on drums and percussion, Brady Rymer on bass, Susie Lampert on keyboard (all three of them also sing background vocals), and myself, Laurie Berkner, on guitar and lead vocals.

Rebecca:  What is your favorite song in your discography? What makes it special to you?

Laurie:  That is such a hard question to answer. Right now it's "One Seed."  I just love singing that one, and I love the message.  

Rebecca:  Why do you choose to play children’s music?

Laurie:  Making music with kids feels so good!  I love the energy that children have - and aren't afraid to share - when they really get swept away by music.  I also identify strongly with my 5-year-old self, so I love to write songs for people around that age.  I also really enjoy recording and writing songs, getting to put on concerts and making videos.  Luckily, I found out early in my career that one of the ways I do all of those things well is when I'm doing them with kids in mind.

Rebecca:  What age did you realize you were a musician?  

Laurie:  I think it was clear to me that I wanted to be a singer from when I was about 10, but it took me more than 10 more years to finally really think of myself seriously as a musician.  I think that was partially because I spent a long time feeling afraid of playing an instrument - besides my voice - in front of other people.  I would sing for anyone, but if you asked me to perform on something that was outside of my body, I would literally start to feel nauseated.

I always still feel some jitters before I go on stage, even now.  But luckily I don't have that terrible feeling in my stomach anymore!

Rebecca:  What or who inspired you as a child to play music/write music?

Laurie:  I loved listening to musical soundtracks - especially anything with Julie Andrews in the cast.  I also played violin, piano and clarinet when I was younger, and I loved the sound of classical orchestras and big dramatic pieces like Carmina Burana and Bolero. When I got to high school I started listening to The Who and The Beatles and eventually started playing guitar, imagining I might be in a band one day.

Rebecca:  What music genre do you listen to in your free time?  What are some of your favorite artists?

Laurie:  I love Hawaiian slack-key guitar music, and I feel very relaxed and happy when I listen to Jack Johnson.  But recently I've been listening a lot to the Hamilton soundtrack (psst...do you know anyone who can get me tickets?? :) )

Rebecca:  Do you have any new projects on the horizon?

Laurie:  I'm working on a new album that will come out in the fall.  I'm also making a new video every month at the YouTube creator space here in NYC that we post monthly on our YouTube site.  In addition I've developed a curriculum for Laurie Berkner's The Music in Me ("My Grown-Up and Me" type classes for 1-4 year olds) that I am releasing as an online course this spring, and I have my first picture book with Simon and Schuster coming out the following spring (of 2017) based entirely on my song, "We Are The Dinosaurs."

Rebecca:  What is your most embarrassing moment in front of a live audience?  How did you handle the situation?

Laurie:  I don't have a big story to tell about something embarrassing - I actually don't get embarrassed on stage that often.  BUT, sometimes when I don't remember to practice little guitar riffs I mess them up on stage because I get nervous.  It's one of the leftovers from when I used to be so afraid of playing an instrument in front of an audience.  Most of the time I just keep playing through and hope no one will really care that much. I think because I have worked for so many years on still being able to perform through all the fear I used to have, that I still find this very embarrassing now.

Also, once I forgot to change my shoes before I went onstage - so I went out in a very fancy dress with old, scuffed up sandals.  I didn't realize it till the show was over and everyone backstage was having a laugh when I came off. Oh well!

Rebecca:   What advice would you give young, budding musicians?  

Laurie:  Notice what it is that you love to do - and then follow it. It's the only way you'll have enough energy, consistency and drive to keep going when things get harder.  And if you keep growing and learning, they will get harder and easier and harder and easier, for the rest of your life.

Rebecca:  Chocolate or vanilla?

Laurie:  Choc-o-lot! (In my pock-o-lot, of course.)

Laurie Berkner has recently released a fully remastered digital album, Love. Featuring songs performed by Laurie Berkner and personally selected from eight of Laurie's best-loved albums, Love celebrates that mysterious force that makes the world go 'round while showcasing a world-class voice gracefully delivering a virtuosic range of moods and musical styles.  For more information about Laurie and her music visit laurieberkner.com.

For your chance to win an autographed CD by Best Selling Children's Recording Artist Laurie Berkner enter here: www.punchbugkids.com/hunterdon-county-nj/prog/giveaway/d/1383/.  Giveaway ends April 22, 2016.