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Do they inexplicably start singing about strange animals such as a flying elephant, a disobedient roach, a fast-eating caterpillar, a dachshund "sausage dog" or a hungry chicken and hog? If so, then that youngster undoubtedly has been listening to singer-songwriter-guitarist Shad Weathersby's Chomp Chomp album. "First of all, music for children should be fun," states Weathersby. "Sometimes a kid's song is simply entertaining with humor, fantasy or wonder. But other times it's great to have the music be educational or informative too. Anytime you can get a youngster to open his mind and think about something new, it's very exciting and rewarding." Weathersby mixes a potent combination of fun and educational music on his first CD geared for children and their families. The recording, Chomp Chomp on Singing Rock Records, contains a dozen original songs by Weathersby, a longtime folk-pop artist with three previous albums released for the adult market. Weathersby, a New Orleans native son who has lived there most of his life, got his start with two folk-pop harmony groups, Huck's River and The Hooligans, but also has performed onstage and in the studio with perennial-Platinum-plus-selling-pianist George Winston. "I started writing some songs that appeal to children about 20 years ago," explains Shad. "But it wasn't until I began going on campouts with my son the last few years that I consciously worked on composing material that would be fun for kids between the ages of four and ten. When I started the recording process, I had several goals. I wanted to make quality music that would sound good enough so that adults listening to it could enjoy it too and not be anxious to turn it off. I also wanted the music to be natural, warm and organic, so the album is mostly acoustic except for an occasional electric guitar or bass. A few tracks have flute and saxophone played by Steve Allen. I didn't use any keyboards or synthesizer." Weathersby also strived to make the album's sound "kid friendly." "I mostly used children to sing the backing and harmony vocals because it gave the music the right feeling. I also incorporated rhythm instruments that you might find in a kid's room like small bongos, egg shakers, a triangle and a snare drum. A children's album needs to be very rhythmical." Weathersby regularly performs the music from Chomp Chomp in concert at grade schools, family fairs and children's expos - sometimes in a classroom setting and other times with several thousand people in the audience. For the more intimate shows, Shad takes props to get the children involved. For the song "Big Big World," he uses a world globe mounted on a stand and has the children spin it, place their finger on it and see what part of the world it stops on. "I used to love to do that when 1 was a kid and they still enjoy it today. We talk about different parts of the world and visualize being in China or Paris or even in the middle of the ocean." For the "Calendar Song," Shad uses a calendar that shows the different stages of the moon and discusses concepts about time. He pulls out a stuffed-toy dachshund for "Sausage Song" and has the younger children stand up and make the dog motions described in the song (shaking their tongues, flopping their ears, rolling their eyes). Some of the songs on Chomp Chomp are serious such as the history-and-education oriented "Anywhere the Wind Blows" (about Columbus sailing to the Americas), "Together" (concerning the need for a good friend) and "In My Room" ("a kid's room is their sanctuary, a secure place full of memories," explains Shad). But other tunes on the recording are just for fun. "Extra Curricular Sunshine," which starts out with the voice of a weatherman portrayed by best-selling children's author Michael Artell, captures the feeling of a child who wants to play outside in sunshine when the weather is cloudy and rainy. The song "Yellow" covers loving everything of that color. "Elephant Jones" is fantasy about a flying pachyderm who has trouble landing. The countrified composition "The Chicken & The Hog" has barnyard animals searching for food. Then there is "Ralph Disobedient Roach," the insect who won't follow the rules. "Children can relate to that song because they know all about misbehaving," Shad says with a smile. Listeners will hear some of Weathersby's influences in his music. Growing up in New Orleans, he absorbed the city's rich musical heritage including the classic rhythm-and-blues of acts like The Neville Brothers and Ernie K-Doe. Shad started singing at a young age and began playing acoustic guitar when he was 14. At first he gravitated toward harmony groups like Peter, Paul & Mary, The Beach Boys and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Soon Shad came to appreciate singer-songwriters including Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Tom Waits. "The rootsy sound of The Band also influenced me quite a bit." In more recent years Weathersby's appreciation of other musical artists has expanded to include acts such as John Mayer and Maroon 5. As a teenager, Shad sang in rock bands playing the hit songs of the era, "but my father always wanted me to be a boxer like him." Shad went to Southeastern Louisiana College where he got his Bachelor's degree in social work with a minor in psychology, but all his spare time was spent writing songs and playing music. A small group of musicians with similar interests hung out together on campus and many of them continue to be active in the music business. After college, Sam Broussard, David Banxston and Neal Lundgren formed the group Manchild while Weathersby, Frosty Horton and John Meunier had the group Huck's River. Broussard and Meunier both play on the Chomo Chomo album which was executive produced by Horton. Huck's River, an acoustic-oriented harmony group, traveled to Colorado where they won first place in a large talent contest and then on to Southern California where they opened a show for Phoebe Snow. Pianist George Winston, who had played with Horton and Meunier years earlier, occasionally performed onstage with Huck's River. Winston was selling millions of solo piano albums on the Windham Hill label and part of his deal was that the company would distribute George's own Dancing Cat Records imprint. When Huck's River disbanded, Winston signed Weathersby to Dancing Cat which resulted in Shad's first solo album, Light Outside That Door, that Winston, Horton, Meunier and Broussard played on (Winston also wrote one song and Horton produced). Legendary gospel group The Zion Harmonizers contribute backing vocals on the title track, New Orleans-legend Alvin "Red" Tyler did the horn arrangements and David Peters from LeRoux was on drums. This CD has recently been reissued by Rolling Road Music with four bonus tracks by Huck's River. Back in New Orleans, Weathersby performed regularly as a solo act opening for Ray Charles, Steve Stills, Three Dog Night, Leon Redbone and David Allen Coe. Shad also played at three New Orleans Jazz Festivals. He formed the group The Hooligans (which included Meunier) and performed regionally for several years. Weathersby released his second solo album, Dreamworld, in the Nineties. Once again, Winston, Horton and Meunier contributed. As he had on his previous album, Shad wrote the songs. "That was a very personal album with a lot of family history in it," he remembers. His third CD, To Behold The LiQht, is a collection of original spiritual songs. "1 took stories from the Bible and tried to imagine what it would have been like if I was there witnessing those events." "I truly enjoyed creating the music on Chomo Chomo because it gave me the opportunity to relive some of the magic of childhood," explains Shad. "I wanted this music to serve as a fun and educational experience, but also as a safe place for children to escape to when they feel like it." |
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Do you have a grade school child who suddenly starts explaining to you about calendars, foreign countries and Columbus discovering America?