Lyrically, you've always put forth a higher level of intellectual discourse. How do you shift your headspace to write for kids?
I love the challenge of writing. To be honest, I'm better with a directive. Show me a script, where you need music here and it has to generate this mood there, and the lyric needs this topic and I'm stoked. My creative mind responds to this kind of direction. It's harder to write for myself. I think too hard about what's worth writing about. There's so much ego involved. When it comes to something like the Care Bears, I have zero ego. I have confidence in my ability to do the task. And if it needs to be fixed, I have no problem doing that either.
Many kid's songs tend to be pedantic . . . any favorite kid's musicians that break the mold?
Michael and I have never been into kid's music, per se. We have the attitude that we were here first, and you kids are going to have to adapt to our tastes. To me, it all begins and ends with Dan Zanes. He makes great music that we all really enjoy listening to together. And, of course, there's the Beatles. My kids, especially my daughter, loves the Beatles. Through listening to a wide variety of stuff, she's developed her own awesome taste in music.
Okay, so what's Miley Cyrus really like? She actually seems like a positive role model for kids these days.
She really is! First of all, Miley puts out pop music that's good. Second of all, this girl walks into a room and she's so self-assured. She acts her age, and she's not slutty.
If it were ten years ago, in the time of Britney Spears and exposed midriffs, I'd be ripping my hair out.
I like that she's not a pushover and she's modest, but she's no Pollyanna either. She's a great person. And, as a mother, I'm thrilled that my daughter has this choice. If it were ten years ago, in the time of Britney Spears and exposed midriffs, I'd be ripping my hair out. That made me mad. The sexualizing of children in general makes me really, really mad.
Do your kids want to be cool musicians like mom and dad, or are they showing signs of leaning toward some polar opposite, like accounting?
If that's what they wanted to do, they could make music. Sure, it's an evil business, but what business isn't evil? Of course if my kids wanted to become famous cardiovascular surgeons or active physicists, I'd prefer that! All I want for my kids is for them to be happy, healthy and exceedingly well adjusted. I want to be like my mother, who was accepting of my choices, for better of worse. She allowed me to fuck up and make weird choices and supported me no matter what. I'm a very lucky person.
Photo by Justine Ungaro
©2008 Vivian Manning-Schaffel and Nerve Media
About the Author
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Vivian Manning-Schaffel has written for Parents, Parenting, The Advocate, The New York Post, Business Week and a variety of other publications. She lives and works in the heart of breeder Brooklyn with her husband and two kids. She's on the web at vivianmanningschaffel.com. |
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