"I Want To Have Fun"
1. What song did you record for this record and why?
i recorded a song called "i just wanna have fun", i think that's the song title;)
why? because kids are awesome. i was just thinking today how much more awesome than adults kids are and, how it is such a shame that we all change so much as we get older.
why? because kids are awesome. i was just thinking today how much more awesome than adults kids are and, how it is such a shame that we all change so much as we get older.
2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
i like ben and jerry's chocolate with peanut butter the best.
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
at first, i wanted to be either a baseball player or a football player. that is, until i discovered music.
4. Do you have a funny childhood memory?
once, when i was left alone for a few hours, i spread chocolate syrup all over the house. all up and down the stairs and all over the furniture. i did it so that, if a burglar tried to break into the house, we'd be able to follow their tracks to where they were hiding.
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
i got blamed for a lot of things i didn't do. i went to a catholic school and the nuns were very uptight and neurotic. they accused me of stealing this kids dime and, when i refused to admit to stealing it, they whipped me with a ruler. not a very fond memory.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and what was he/she like?
i liked this algebra teacher i had named mr. speir. he was extremely awkward and goofy but he had a real sweetness. he was the archetypal math nerd. i found him to have great pathos and, more importantly,he was able to actually engage me and hold my attention.
7. What was your favorite song when you were a kid?
the first song i remember really connecting with was, "my secret" by new edition.
"See You on the Moon"
"The Poopsmith Song"
1. What song did you record for this record and why?
The Poopsmith Song. It’s a topic that everyone can relate to!
2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate! See what brown can do for you.
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
My name is Linford by the way. I’m the boy in the band. I couldn’t make up my mind. For awhile I thought maybe a hockey player, or a college professor, or a concert pianist, or a saint (I wanted to do “great things for Godâ€Â), or a novelist. I picked songwriting because it was something that seemed like it required me to work on a lot of different things: writing, performing in front of an audience, learning to play musical instruments, storytelling, traveling all over the world working closely with other interesting people. And to be a good songwriter, you have to have a sense of humor. I like to laugh. Do you? Tee hee hee. Ha ha ha.
4. Do you have a funny childhood memory?
I remember watching the Flintstones on TV. I thought that was the best show, and it made me laugh. And I started to play piano when I was in 2nd grade. My sister Grace told me that if I became a concert pianist, I would play music for silent movies.
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
Oh yes. I grew up in a little town and there were abandoned, haunted houses that we were always exploring that had No Trespassing signs. And one time my brother Jonathan and I were playing Indians (I was Commanche and he was Cherokee – we always wanted to be Indians, never Cowboys) and we borrowed a BB gun and shot out all the street lights on our street. Everything was black. The neighbor told our Dad who was the minister at the church in town that he didn’t appreciate what we were doing. We got in trouble. I’m not sure what we were thinking at the time. Kids: Don’t ever shoot out all the streetlights on your street! The neighbors don’t appreciate it! You can take my word for it.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and what was he/she like?
My favorite teacher was my 4th grade teacher, Mr. Baker. He was my first male teacher and he had biceps and stuff. He bought a tractor from my Dad. I thought he was pretty cool.
7. What was your favorite song when you were a kid?
The Streak. It was a big hit about a guy that ran around naked. Check it out. It’s awesome!
"My Little Bird"
1. What song did you record for this record and why?
it's called 'my little bird' and i wrote and recorded it for my daughter.
she's my little bird.
she's my little bird.
2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
sorry, i'm lactose intolerant. i used to love mint chip....
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
musician. or shortstop.
4. Do you have a funny childhood memory?
when i was 2 i ate a snail from our garden. my mom said i must have been a
very young appreciator of french cuisine.
very young appreciator of french cuisine.
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
one time when i was about 10, i was playing basketball in our driveway. my dad's car was in the way, so i decided to get inside the car and move it myself. i didn't know how cars work, so as it started to speed backward down the driveway, i panicked and crashed into the neighbor's fence, bending the driver's side door backward off its hinges. not good.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and what was he/she like?
probably my english teacher in 6th grade. she was a true lover of literature and would really listen when we would talk about what we were reading and why we liked it. she made everyone in the classroom feel as if it was the coolest thing in the world to read. i think she's right
7. What was your favorite song when you were a kid?
hey jude
"Itsy Bitsy Spider"
"The Other Day I Met a Bear"
1. What song did you record for this record and why?
We chose "The Other Day I Met A Bear" because it's a campfire favorite. Most of us were camp counselors in our youth. It came to this or "Down by the Bay"... it's was a tough call.
2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Vanilla. The finest of the flavours.
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
The guy from Barenaked Ladies. Well, I didn't know the band name yet, but I've wanted to be a musician since the 5th grade. Before that I wanted to be a zoologist.
4. Do you have a funny childhood memory?
I was pretty lucky. I laughed a lot as a kid. It's tough to pick out just one funny memory. There was this one time at band camp. No, seriously... I went to band camp!!
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
I never really got in to any big trouble as a kid. I stole some stuff once with a friend. I felt so bad afterwards that I never did it again. We'd probably taken $25 worth of stuff from a department store. My conscience was so guilt ridden that I threw the stuff away, and never stole anything again.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and what was he/she like?
I was lucky to have a lot of great teachers, and many were inspiring for different reasons. Some pushed me mentally while others encouraged me emotionally. It would be impossible to pick just one.
7. What was your favorite song when you were a kid?
Kenny Rogers "The Gambler". It had a great story. I don't know why the heck I related to it as a little kid, but I was really caught up in it. Whisky, poker, smokin'... what the heck did that have to do with me?? It was like a western movie in 3 minutes, and I ate it up.
"The Babysitter Song"
2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Rocky Road.
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an archeologist, a professor or exactly what I am doing today.
4. Do you have a funny childhood memory?
My parents were away for a whole weekend and my babysitter took us to Bloomingdale's. I was 7 or 8 and of course the thing I most interested in was the bakery. I pointed to a dessert called the napoleon, which was the largest; it was about the size of a brick. I said, “can I have that one†and my babysitter said “only if you can eat the whole thingâ€Â, and I did. Was she the coolest babysitter or what!
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
Once my sister whispered words in my ear to repeat to my mom and I really should have seen it coming by the fifth time. To this day my mom says I knew perfectly well what I was saying, to this day I say my sisters were evil.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and what was he/she like?
All of them were great but my 4th grade teacher Mrs. Fritchler let us write long reports, including one about an imaginary country. I used to go off and do lots of research on Montana and falcons and Ancient Egypt.
7. What was your favorite song when you were a kid?
“City of New Orleans†- Steve Goodman - because to this day it makes me think of all these old trains criss crossing the country just like in the story books that we used to read.
"I'm a Believer"
1. What song did you record for this record and why?
“I'm A Believer" by the Monkees. We started out doing covers of 60s and 70s pop and psychedelia that would get the parents dancing as well as the kids. This song has always been one of our favorites, and when we perform it live, we usually get one of the moms from the audience to come up and spin plates on her head! For real!
2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Funny you should ask, because we were asked that question recently and both Sippy Paul and I said Mint Chip. Yum.
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
A singer, songwriter and performer. I never, ever stopped believing in that dream. So that turned out well, I'd say!
4. Do you have a funny childhood memory?
I remember my friends and I used to play an elaborate game every day at recess called "Country", where we would pretend to be living out on the frontier, and we would have to work the land and wash our clothes in the creek and we called each other "Ma" and "Pa" and stuff like that. Funny only because this was in suburban California in the mid-70s. A bunch of geeky girls in bell bottoms and Barry Manilow t-shirts pretending to milk the cows.
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
Oh no, never.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and what was he/she like?
Mrs. Burgess, 5th Grade. She taught us French and had a really zany laugh like Ruth Buzzi, and she used to let us hang out and watch "Days of Our Lives" at lunchtime with her. It was so cool.
7. What was your favorite song when you were a kid?
Anything by Elton John. I was a huge fan. Especially Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, it's still one of my favorite songs of all time. It's beautiful.
"If You're Happy and You Know It"
"Does Your Cat Have a Mustache?"
"Very Long"
"My Darling Clementine"
From John Dragonetti:
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
an astronaut! that is until i saw the beatles first movie, "hard days night".
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
oh yes. many times. my first memory of guilt is throwing a rock through our neighbors window. although it was an accident i denied it when my mother asked. eventually, i tearfully admitted my deed and was paraded over to our neighbors front door with my piggy bank in hand.
7. What was your favorite song when you were a kid?
i probably had a new favorite every other day but i can remember loving "nowhere man" by the beatles, "do you love me" by kiss and "taste of honey" by herb alpert and the tijuana brass
From Blake Hazard:
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a doctor and live in Antarctica - not sure who I would have been taking care of, what with the sort of limited population up there, but it sounded like a good adventure at the time!
4. Do you have a funny childhood memory?
I sang my first word, "Batman!" after listening to my brothers sing the theme song for the show.
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
Once, back when we lived up an old dirt road, my brothers and I threw rocks at passing cars. A man and his wife stopped and hollered that if we didn't tell our parents what we'd been up to, he would tell them himself. We totally fell for the threat and turned ourselves in. But, we were so upset and crying about the whole thing by the time we confessed that my mother ended up consoling us with a story about having thrown tomatoes at cars when she was little, which ended up giving us all a good giggle. Pretty light punishment on that one, I suppose.
"The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round"
2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
chocolate peanut butter or mint chip or cookies n' cream or moose tracks (i really like icecream)
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
A cartoonist or a basketball player... I liked to draw cartoons of myself playing basketball.
"New Shoes"
1. What song did you record for this record and why?
Called "New Shoes," this song was to be the centerpiece for Blitzen Trapper's own kids' record, but then life got in the way. It was recorded originally in 2005 shortly after we'd got an old sampler and some new kicks.
2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Peanut butter and chocolate.
Garlic (tie)
Garlic (tie)
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
Parapsychologist.
4. Do you have a funny childhood memory?
Once at a dance recital in a big fancy theatre when I was 7 or 8, after rehearsing for months to get the routine down, I completely blanked once I got on stage in front of all the people. So I started improvising, bewildering my dance partner and just kind of goofing around to the music. The crowd roared with laughter, which is how I discovered that it doesn't matter so much what happens on stage so long as everyone has a good time.
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
Lots of times, mostly for trying to ditch or marginalize my younger brother.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and what was he/she like?
Mrs Van Hoose was a cool third-grade teacher. She have a trove of souvenirs and toys that the kids in class could buy with currency we earned for doing homework, getting the multiplication tables down, reading more than was required. This capitalistic system was more rational than typical grading. The class thrived.
7. What was your favorite song when you were a kid?
I was a huge MTV junky; MTV was like my babysitter for a number of years. So high-rotation video songs like "Thriller" or Duran Duran's "The Reflex" were favorites. Before MTV I think Kenny Roger's "The Gambler" was my favorite.
"Sunny"
"Jellyman Kelly"
1. What song did you record for this record and why?
Jellyman Kelly by James Taylor. It was our daughter's favorite part of this sesame street video filmed in the 70's called "Sing Yourself Silly." Mr. Taylor guest performed it on the show with a bunch of little tykes singing along. The best part aside from the girl who obviously cut her own bangs is the tuba player.
2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate chip mint
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
A teacher and a singer. Also I was sure at one point I would be a solid gold dancer despite having no dance training whatsoever.
4. Do you have a funny childhood memory?
So many...but since we're approaching October: My mom always made our Halloween costumes. I was wonder woman one year-complete with the arm bands and hot, satiny shorts. My sister, being the younger sibling/copycat, wanted to be wonder woman as well. However, my mom ran out of blue and red fabric. So, she made my sister a yellow and green version of me. I thought it was funny then and we still laugh at the pictures. My mom actually pulled me aside and told me to play along and act like a green wonder woman was totally normal.
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
I once was peer pressured into flinging popcorn kernels at other classmates. It was the only thing bad I ever did in elementary school and Patti Dersch turned me in.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and what was he/she like?
Miss Lummis. She let us sit wherever we wanted to read. I used to sit in the sink or lie under my desk. She was young and artistic and I wanted to be like her. She also elected me to be a saftey patrol. I think that really influenced my personality.
7. What was your favorite song when you were a kid?
anything from Grease or by Dolly Parton.
"No Hiding Place"
From Gary Maurer:
1. What song did you record for this record and why?
'No Hiding Place'..Dan had the great idea to incorporate an old gospel song idea ("ain't no hiding place") with a kid's game of hide and seek
2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
coffee ice cream
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
A musician of course!
4. Do you have a funny childhood memory?
Yes,jumping out of bed one morning and landing squarely on my guitar, smashing it to pieces
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
Yes,jumping out of bed one morning and landing squarely on my guitar, smashing it to pieces.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and what was he/she like?
My favorite teacher was Mr. Grooms..he encouraged kids to be artistic and to pursue their dreams,which was unusual for my school
7. What was your favorite song when you were a kid?
'Jumpin' Jack Flash' by the Rolling Stones.
"The Lint Song"
1. What song did you record for this record and why?
"The Lint Song", to inspire kids to go learn about the dangers of lint and check their dryers often.
2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Strawberry.
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
A cartoonist.
4. Do you have a funny childhood memory?
When I rode a sled off of my parents' roof and almost hit the propane tank, I realized that sometimes parents are right about what you should and shouldn't do with gravity.
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
I climbed a forty foot tree once when I was five. The fire department came with a ladder and brought me to safety.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and what was he/she like?
Ms. Ladish was the fourth grade teacher with a turtle and rats that we could play with to learn about science.
7. What was your favorite song when you were a kid?
"Deep Deep Trouble" by Bart Simpson.
"Pure Imagination"
1. What song did you record for this record and why?
I recorded Pure Imagination, because I think it tells the truth.
2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
I don't like ice cream, but if there was some really good rose gelato
around, I'd probably be into it.
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be Mozart.
4. Do you have a funny childhood memory?
No.
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
I was always in trouble, although it was hard to figure out why.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and what was he/she like?
I liked Ms. Campbell, the music teacher. She was very black and had a strong Southern accent. She would wear white hose over her black
legs, and play the electric piano. Once, she told me I should never sing with a sore throat, and that's about the most helpful advice an adult ever gave me when I was a kid.
legs, and play the electric piano. Once, she told me I should never sing with a sore throat, and that's about the most helpful advice an adult ever gave me when I was a kid.
7. What was your favorite song when you were a kid?
I had lots of favorite songs. One of the first ones I can remember is
"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" by Willie Nelson.
"As Small As Me"
From Rosie:
1. What song did you record for this record and why?
I recorded a song that i wrote for my nieces about being a kid and how great it is to be little.
2. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
My favorite ice cream flavor has always been superman ice cream and to this day i dont even know exactly what the flavor is, but i do know this, not only is it blue, but it has little gum balls in it...it's so gross, but so good. Mmm...
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
i always wanted to be an entertainer really, but there was a time that i wanted to be a farmer and milk cows for a living and then there was a time that i daydreamed about working at K-Mart.
4. Do you have a funny childhood memory?
i farted out loud once during quiet reading...
5. Did you ever get in big trouble for something?
I used to take out my moms car when she was sleeping when i was about 9 or so, one night i pulled up in the driveway and there was my mom waiting for me. I panicked and sped away and she had to chase me all the way down the street. It was awesome. I was grounded for a month.
7. What was your favorite song when you were a kid?
"Ben" by Michael Jackson. I would practice it over and over again in the garage singing it at the top of my lungs and crying, especially after i found out it was written for his pet rat, or was it his pet hamster? either way, it was the most touching love song i had ever heard.
