I want to inspire both children and adults to dream big.Ĭonnie Kaldor is a Juno award winning artist who has sung for royalty (Joni Mitchell, the Queen) and is a member of the Order of Canada. It’s been so cool to watch him imagine something, hear it back as a song, and then get to see it visually. Then, “muffins are sleeping.” All of this creative nonsense that he really said. I was sitting down with a guitar and he was just making these weird combinations of words and phrases like, “monkey in the band” = which became the first line of the song. The song literally came from Jack’s words. It’s been really fun because a big part of the creative process has been observing his interests, spinning them into songs, and watching this reaction. After first recording them, I’d bring them down to him, and we’d listen together. My 2-year old son Jack was my test audience for these songs. This album represents a connection to my having a son, being a mother and reconnecting with old own childhood. We hope anyone who listens to Magic Elevator will feel that there are no barriers, walls, or other obstacles that should stop you from following your dreams getting where you want to go. Magic Elevator is a song that comes from dreams of flying and transporting ourselves anywhere we want to be in a flash! Why take a boring old elevator that only goes up and down when you can be in one that goes every which way? And besides, as the song says, “YOU ARE THE NAVIGATOR!” so this elevator will follow your directions and you follow your dreams ) A lot of our songs are in Spanish and English and use Afro-Caribbean rhythms as well as other traditional rhythms. We love to use instruments from around the globe and to sing in different languages. I try to capture that feeling through different means in loads of my songs (not always with butter knives). To me that sound has a magical feeling of innocence and joy. I got the idea for the bell-chime solo from a 1920's carousel near my house in Brooklyn and approximated the sound by hitting a glockenspiel with metal butter knives. I hope they will listen to the words and picture the images in their heads. I hope the song will spark a creative feeling in kids. What you hope children & families will get from this song: But essentially the song is a celebration of creativity (and of making fun of your dad's singing voice). The dad in the story, like most dads, doesn't have a great voice but the kid feels a warmth in his voice that he loves. The second verse is about is about a dad singing to a kid as he falls asleep. I-M-A-G-I-N-A-T-I-O-N is about the power of one's imagination. Either way, they are designed to entertain people and make people feel good.Ībout your song (e.g., any unique instruments used, the origins of the lyrics, what inspired you, etc.): Some stories are from my life and some are imagined. We can all make any dream happen if we never give up, that is, until your last-shyin’ day! I think it’s a helpful song to listen to especially in times of rejection and hardship. It’s important to imagine all the alternative possibilities and to never give up because Life is a Real Dream and happy are those who dream dreams. I wrote this song for my own children, (ages 6 and 9) to remind them that things are not always as they seem. What you hope children & families will get from this song We always sing the song in four-part harmony and on this studio recording my pal Boz Boorer (Morrissey’s musical director & guitarist) plays beautiful ukulele. I sang it into my iPhone voice memo over and over again, until I got it just right-which eventually took a few months! I wanted it to sound like a song from my favorite Beach Boys record, “Friends.” The song serves an important role in our live concert performance to explain to the audience the meaning of LARD, which is an acronym for "Life’s A Real Dream” (and no, nothing to do with that cooking product!). “Life’s A Real Dream" was originally composed while walking down the street in New York City on the lower east side. It’s our hope that our music will inspire you to dance, sing, smile, or scratch your head-or all of the above!Ībout your song (e.g., any unique instruments used, the origins of the lyrics, what inspired you, etc.) We use lots of wordplay in our lyrics, such as “I’m just a hepped up, flap jack, mop top hurricon” or “slurp the noodle of life!” We also use many different instruments including trombone, Hammond organ, bongos, cello, and handclaps. Our music is a bit nerd rock, a bit catchy sing-song jingles, and a bit total absurdism. Know that just as you can’t judge a book by its cover, you also don’t always need an explanation for why something is the way it is. I am the Human Lard Dog-also known as the alter ego of artist Steven Erdman-and I’ve made music with one thing in mind: FUN! I am inspired by Robert Benchley, Nina Simone, Monty Python, Barbara Hepworth, Marcel Duchamp, Ernie Bushmiller and so many others.