Laurie Berkner has been called "the queen of children's music." I challenge any parent of a toddler to challenge that proverbial crown. For some 20 years, the best-selling children's recording artist and preschool TV personality has been a fixture in countless homes across the world, and her live performances have sold out faster than a Willy Wonka ticket. Because of all of this and more, A-Sides is pleased to have her as our very first guest on our kids-oriented spin-off: Lowercase A-Sides.
Filmed at the Gibson showroom in New York City, Berkner performed a pair of tunes, and discussed her career from her humble beginnings to her current reign. She also discussed her annual Christmas shows, in which she performs alongside her band. Catch them, by the way, this Saturday, Dec. 3 in The Concert Hall at the Society for Ethical Culture in New York City, Sunday, Dec. 11 at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ, and Saturday, Dec. 17 at Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, NY. Before we jump to our session, here's a couple things you should know about Queen Laurie. She started her career as a pre-school teacher, but by night, she was part of a rock band. Her original music eventually extended beyond the classroom, and based off of word of mouth, she decided to start her own label (Two Tomatoes) and make kiddie music for a living. Thus, an empire was born. Is that the proper use of "thus?" I'm not sure, and don't care.
Anyway, she was the first artist to appear in music videos on Nick Jr. and was featured in most episodes of Jack's Big Music Show. She recently released a new album called Superhero, performed an original tune about brushing your teeth as part of a Tom's of Maine campaign, and continues to make appearances on children's shows on television and the radio. She also has a series of books coming out.
I could go on but let's skip a grade and get into the videos, which were shot by shootmepeter.com. Enjoy!
About A-Sides with Jon Chattman
Jon Chattman's music/entertainment series typically features celebrities and artists (established or not) from all genres performing a track, and discussing what it means to them. This informal series focuses on the artist making art in a low-threatening, extremely informal (sometime humorous) way. No bells, no whistles -- just the music performed in a random, low-key setting followed by an unrehearsed chat. In an industry where everything often gets overblown and over manufactured, Jon strives for a refreshing change. (Theme song by Blondfire.) Artists featured on the series include Imagine Dragons, Melissa Etheridge, Yoko Ono, Elle King, Joe Perry, Alice Cooper, James Bay, Jimmy Eat World, Charli XCX, Marina and the Diamonds, and Bastille. In November 2016, A-Sides launched a kids-centric version dubbed "Lowercase a-Sides."