Download Laurie Berkner MP3s
Laurie Berkner has been a professional musician since 1992, but her success as a children's recording artist was a surprise to her. "It was so unexpected," says Laurie. "I'd been performing in rock bands (including Lois Lane, an all-female cover band, as well as her own original rock band, Red Onion) and struggling to write original music. Writing music for kids has not been a struggle at all. The more I started working on material for children, the more I realized that it opened up creativity in me that I never knew I had."
While Laurie never planned to be a children's performer, looking back on her career it almost seems inevitable. Music was certainly in her blood, and working with children was a running theme. Growing up in Princeton, New Jersey, Laurie was always involved in music, whether singing in choirs, playing in bands, or performing in musical theater. In high school and throughout college (at Rutgers University), she toured Europe with several choirs and orchestras as a soloist and guitarist. After college, Laurie worked as music counselor at summer camps, and later worked for several years as a children's music specialist at New York area preschool and day care centers. Working with children became the perfect creative outlet for Laurie to express her talents and create something that, she says, "has turned out to be incredibly rewarding." Laurie's first release in 1997, 'Whaddaya Think Of That?' (only available on cassette at the time) was inspired by the parents of her young students. "The children were really responding to the music we created together," explains Laurie. Many of the songs involve movement, and all of them invite children's participation. Songs such as "We Are The Dinosaurs" allow children to express anger and to feel powerful, while quieter songs inspire feelings of security and warmth. By the time she released her second CD in 1998, 'Buzz Buzz,' Laurie had formed her own record company, Two Tomatoes Records, LLC. Her work began to sell briskly in the New York area as word of mouth began to spread and critical acclaim began pouring in. Laurie's inventive, playful, and well-crafted songs, as well as her accomplished guitar playing and warm, engaging vocals, stood out among other, often over-produced, children's fare.
By the time Laurie's third release, 'Victor Vito' came out in late 1999, Laurie had national distribution and a fanatic following among children aged 0-7. The CD received enormous critical acclaim from publications ranging from People Magazine to U.S. News & World Report, and the FX Network's "American Baby Show" invited Laurie to make her first national TV appearance. 'Victor Vito' was bestowed two Children's Music Web awards and a Parent's Guide To Children's Media Award. Us Magazine's Bruce Kluger proclaimed, "the title cut has already become a birthday party anthem."
'Whaddaya Think Of That?' was re-mastered and re-released on CD in September, 2000. Critical raves soon followed. Family Fun's Moira McCormick named it one of the best children's CDs of 2000, and wrote, "[Laurie's] congenial voice and acoustic guitar, off-the-wall sense of humor, and ability to zero in on exactly what tickles her young audience's fancies make her special indeed . . . Berkner's a blast." The Los Angeles Times' Lynne Heffley took note of Laurie's expert use of "rhythm, rhyme and humor irresistible to little ones for play-along fun."
The Laurie Berkner Band made their debut on VHS in September, 2001, with the release of 'Laurie Berkner's Video Songbook.' Filmed at one of their standing-room-only concerts, the video blends deliberately simple animation with live footage. NBC's "Today Show" previewed the video when the band performed live on the program in July, 2001. Publisher's Weekly's Shannon Maughan noted Laurie's "catchy, playful tunes and spontaneous, warm performance style," while Amazon.com's Tammy La Gorce wrote, "Laugh-along interactive numbers and a playful vibe make this a songbook worthy of more than a few flip-throughs." The video received a 2003 Telly Bronze Award, a Kids First! Endorsement, a Parent's Guide To Children's Media Award and a Video Magic Award from Parenting Magazine.
In 2002, Laurie joined with Elefanten children's shoes and Americans for the Arts to create a program called Steps to Art , to raise funds and awareness for early childhood arts education programs. The band created a special fundraising CD, 'Bumblebees & Googleheads: Fun Songs By Laurie Berkner,' featuring favorite songs chosen from their first three recordings.
'Whaddaya Think Of That?' was re-mastered and re-released on CD in September, 2000. Critical raves soon followed. Family Fun's Moira McCormick named it one of the best children's CDs of 2000, and wrote, "[Laurie's] congenial voice and acoustic guitar, off-the-wall sense of humor, and ability to zero in on exactly what tickles her young audience's fancies make her special indeed . . . Berkner's a blast." The Los Angeles Times' Lynne Heffley took note of Laurie's expert use of "rhythm, rhyme and humor irresistible to little ones for play-along fun."
The Laurie Berkner Band made their debut on VHS in September, 2001, with the release of 'Laurie Berkner's Video Songbook.' Filmed at one of their standing-room-only concerts, the video blends deliberately simple animation with live footage. NBC's "Today Show" previewed the video when the band performed live on the program in July, 2001. Publisher's Weekly's Shannon Maughan noted Laurie's "catchy, playful tunes and spontaneous, warm performance style," while Amazon.com's Tammy La Gorce wrote, "Laugh-along interactive numbers and a playful vibe make this a songbook worthy of more than a few flip-throughs." The video received a 2003 Telly Bronze Award, a Kids First! Endorsement, a Parent's Guide To Children's Media Award and a Video Magic Award from Parenting Magazine.
In 2002, Laurie joined with Elefanten children's shoes and Americans for the Arts to create a program called Steps to Art , to raise funds and awareness for early childhood arts education programs. The band created a special fundraising CD, 'Bumblebees & Googleheads: Fun Songs By Laurie Berkner,' featuring favorite songs chosen from their first three recordings.
Laurie contributed an original song, "I Want It," to Marlo Thomas' book and companion CD, "Thanks & Giving All Year Long," which was released at Thanksgiving, 2004. The track was recorded by Marlo and rap-rock singer Uncle Kracker. The CD won a Grammy Award in 2006.
The Laurie Berkner Band appears every week in "Jack's Big Music Show," an original music series that debuted in September, 2005 on NOGGIN. At the end of 2005, The Laurie Berkner Band completed a headlining slot on the inaugural tour of Jamarama Live! Kidsfest, a groundbreaking children's music festival, described by Time Magazine as "the first ever preschool music festival to tour nationally . . . sippy cups instead of beer cups."
In February, 2006, the band released their first DVD, "We are . . . The Laurie Berkner Band" (Two Tomatoes Records, LLC/Razor & Tie Entertainment/Starbucks Hear Music), produced by award-winning children's film producer Jane Startz. Packaged with a compilation CD that includes a brand new track, the DVD entered Billboard's Top Music Video chart at #1, where it stayed for six weeks, and went platinum. "We are . . . The Laurie Berkner Band" marked the first time Starbucks Hear Music co-released a family title. Parenting Magazine wrote, "The Pied Piper of Preschool pulls together a bouncy set of her best get-up-and-dance music videos, sure to keep wee toes tapping. This critic's faves: the delightfully silly 'Pig on Her Head' and Berkner's can't-help-but-sing-along anthem, 'Victor Vito.'"
Earlier in the year, Laurie and Brian made a joint decision that it was best for them to keep their work and family lives separate. Brian's departure from the band left him free to pursue other musical interests. Laurie made her third appearance on the "Today Show" in March, 2006 in conjunction with the DVD's release. She was accompanied by bassist Adam Bernstein, who performed on her first three CDs.
The Laurie Berkner Band performs across North America. Their concerts have been held at varied venues from the White House (for the Easter Egg Roll in 2000) to national and international children's music festivals. The band's CDs and video are available at major national and online retailers and can also be ordered directly at laurieberkner.com, or by calling 1-877-MUSIC-77.
