Parenting Children

I agree with many parents when I say, some of the music that is made for children makes me want to beat my head against the wall. My parents didn’t like children’s music when my sister and I were growing up so I listened to what my parents did, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Carly Simon, Fleetwood Mac and many (many!) others. I feel the same way, and when my kids and I first saw Dan Zanes singing about a “House Party” on Noggin, I thought we may have found the answer to our music dilemma in this house. Who was this crazy haired, bright suit wearing man?

I had the amazing opportunity to speak with Dan and ask him a few questions I, along with some other parents, would like to know about him.

Dan Zanes is a man with music in his soul and along with a few friends from college started a band called The Del Fuegos. After he married and had a daughter he found himself in New York City and starting to play music with some other fathers. They wanted to make music for kids and their parents.
A house party indeed, where he invited some of his famous and not so famous friends to come in and record some great, organic music. They started playing at parks and birthday parties, graduated to selling some CDs and then Noggin and Playhouse Disney came calling.

Dan is in the process of recording some new music with Father Goose. He is currently listening to Caribbean folk music, Mexican and Puerto Rican music. I wondered what his daughter listened to, whether she liked her parent’s music or went to the other side of the music spectrum as teenagers like to do. Dan said his daughter had always liked what he and his wife played but that she had great taste in music and even introduced him to OutKast.
He always bounces ideas and new music off of his daughter and wife, they keep him grounded and you can tell the music he makes is not a single effort, it is a family affair.

Dan and his band give portions of their proceeds to charities and one of the charities he works with is Heifer International. He was always involved with environmental charities but he was looking for something that he could explain to children, something that they could contribute to and feel like they are making a difference in the world. This was a charity that was not only all of those things but terrific to work with.

Dan says he doesn’t know if he is a good parent. He had instability growing up and is proud of the fact that his daughter isn’t growing up with that same unsteadiness. Famous musician or not, he faces the same parenting problems as everyone else. He knows his daughter learns more from the way he carries himself in the world then what he says. He also credits a sense of humor with getting through this thing we call parenting.

Dan Zanes’ music is one that is played in my home, it is music for everyone and after speaking to Dan I now know why. He is a grateful parent that just wants to make the world a better place for his family, and give back to the world. You get that feeling as your listening to his music, music that will be played in our house for years to come.

Dan Zanes, Noggin, Playhouse Disney, Children’s music, Music for the family, music, parenting, kids, preschoolers, toddlers