|
Top name collaborators like Natalie Merchant add to the
richness of Zanes’ most recent, Grammy-winning CD, Catch
That Train!. (On previous CDs, Zanes has collaborated with
Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega, Lou Reed, Dar Williams and Bob Weir among
others.)
Catch That Train! is a satisfying blend of Zanes’
original songs about life in his Brooklyn neighborhood, backyard
sing-a-longs, and summer vacations in the Nova Scotia countryside, as
well as Spirituals, and traditional/folk songs from around the world.
Zanes says he sees his work as “the musical version of
the world I want to see around me.”
In a recent phone interview he expanded, “There is so much room for
more music in our world. Music is all about celebrating life’s
possibilities and being more peaceful.
“We used to be a much more musical society before the
rise of electronic media,” says Zanes, who recently started appearing
in music videos on Noggin, a children’s network that markets itself as
“preschool on TV” and the Disney Channel.
When I ask him about this inconsistency he chuckles.
“Yeah, at first I was really resistant to TV,” he says,
“but we’re trying to spread the joy of music-making.
“I could be out performing every night of the year and
only reach a fraction of the families in the world. Television gives
access to culture for a lot of people.
“I feel like we have been able to be consistent with our
message. TV has been good for us,” Zanes says adding, “I still wish
kids watched a lot less of it.”
The message that Zanes is trying to get out to families, through his
concerts and TV videos, is that everyone can make music!
Specifically, Zanes hopes to spread his enthusiasm for
casual music-making like after dinner sing-a-longs, drumming circles,
and backyard bands.
In fact, Zanes, a retired rocker (remember the Del
Fuegos from the 80’s?), found his love for making family music through
a backyard band he created with a group of parents he met at the
playground when his daughter Anna, now 12, was a toddler.
His advice for musically-challenged parents who want to
experience the joy of making music with their children: Think of a
song; Learn the lyrics; Sing around the house.
“Really. It’s that simple,” he says.
“So many of us have voices in our head saying ‘I’m not
musical or I’m not a good singer’ and that’s really not what it’s all
about,” Zanes says.
When it comes to casual music, Zanes says, “It’s not
about sounding good or sounding bad, it’s about joining in on the fun
and getting into the spirit of the event.”
The only thing that can drag it down, he says, is not
participating.
So come on out and share in the fun on Saturday
afternoon. This will be Dan Zanes and Friends first appearance in
Providence and, so far, the only one scheduled for this year.
If you go
The Providence FirstWorks Kids Festival begins
Friday with a kick-off workshop and gallery opening.
Festivities continue Saturday with African Drumming,
story-telling, Afro-Caribbean Dance, Big Nazo Puppets, and of course,
Dan Zanes and Friends, who will perform two shows – 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. –
at the RISD auditorium.
There will also be a host of workshops and exhibits
throughout the day. The festival will conclude with a pick-up parade
along the River Walkway (beginning at 5 p.m.) to Waterplace Park for a
Family Fiesta Finale. All events are free and open to the public.
Parking is on-street (metered and free) and free lot parking is
available at Bowen and Hope Street in the Brown University Lot or on
Smith Street across from the State House in the D.O.T. parking lot.
For more information, including a printable festival map, visit: http://www.firstworksprov.org/ back to my writing |
back to my blog
|
