Joe McDermott

"Playing for children is a lot like playing for drunk people," McDermott said from his home in Austin. "They both tend to be pretty happy and accepting." McDermott, 41, said he stumbled into a career as a children's musician after he graduated from college. In addition to playing night gigs with his rock bands, he became a preschool art teacher in order to support his growing family. He eventually began weaving music into his teaching and another career began. "I've known since I was 3 years old that I wanted to be a musician," he said. "I never imagined I would be a musician for 3-year-olds." During the past decade, McDermott has parlayed his rock 'n' roll music talent into fun loving tunes geared toward children.
After releasing a series of children's tapes in the early 1990s, he began composing music for video games and CD-ROMS. His music was featured on a game for the Berenstain Bears, inspired by the series of children's books. He also worked with the creators of the Berenstain Bears, Jan and Stan Berenstain, to set 10 of their books to song. McDermott has released five children's albums in Texas. His first nationally distributed album, I am Baby, featuring the popular song Don't Drop a Brick on Your Foot (It Will Hurt), won a Parent's Choice award in 1998. His most recent release, Great Big World, was awarded with the 2001 Parent's Choice Silver Award. He is currently working on an adult album and another children's album and video. Next week, McDermott will kick off the Bryan and College Station Public Library's annual summer reading program for kids. He will perform free concerts outside at 10 a.m. Tuesday at College Station and on Wednesday at the Palace Theatre in Downtown Bryan. - The Eagle (Bryan/College Station, TX) 2002

Austin kids love the hell out of this former Montessori teacher's tales about jungle beasties, spaceships, and kangaroo jumps. Who wouldn't? McDermott's songs bear no agenda – educational, moral, or otherwise – other than just good, clean fun. McDermott, who holds a degree in fine arts from UT Austin, once aspired to rock stardom, but a career in elementary education pulled that focus. Ironically, it's his career among the rug rats that's kick-started his trajectory as a star for the knee-high set, starting with a Christmas-gift cassette he recorded with his students at the Phoenix School. Since then, he's recorded I Am Baby (1998), which was followed by Great Big World (2001), and Everywhere You Go (2003). All three records won awards from various parenting-related entities. McDermott gigs relentlessly around town, from Pottery Barn Kids in Barton Creek Mall and public libraries to the Nutty Brown Cafe. His fourth album, Everyone Plays Air Guitar, was released June 2007. – Melanie Haupt - The Chronicle (Austin, TX weekly) 2008

ACL Fest Live Shots

Joe McDermott

Making an event like the ACL Music Festival kid-friendly goes a long way toward cultivating a good vibe for everyone. After all, there's nothing like the shame of being a 4-year-old's unforgettable introduction to the world of drunken buffoonery. Festival organizers made sure kids in tow stayed busy, too. The Austin Kiddie Limits tent featured face painting, an arts-and-crafts table, and visits from Clifford the Big Red Dog. Musicwise, longtime Austin favorite Joe McDermott held court over a sizable group of youngsters who sang and pranced in front of the stage. As a performer, McDermott has the same tweaked affability that makes Jonathan Richman endearing. McDermott and his Smart Little Creatures opened the show with "Great Big World," a pop gem that encapsulates the deepest parental yearnings with its simple lyric, "Someday I'm gonna hold your little hand, walk around this great big world." He can also get plenty silly, but McDermott doesn't pander. As a result, his clever songs work for both kids and adults. Kids identified with the crowd-pleasing "I Am Baby," while adults heard a blues lament for the harried parent whose keys somehow wound up at the bottom of the diaper pail. By set's end, the tent was awash in ear-to-ear smiles. -- Greg Beets - The Chronicle (Austin, TX weekly) 2003

HOME: JUNE 18, 2004: MUSIC

Pop Rocks

Groover's paradise keeps propagating

BY MELANIE HAUPT


Papa Don't Preach (l-r): McDermotts Louise, Sean, Joe, Kevin, and Max
Photo By Todd V. Wolfson
A tiny blond toddler in Abercrombie khaki and plaid makes the rounds through the dining area at Jovita's, trailed by his mother as he stops to bop randomly to the music. He shows off his bright white teeth, grinning flirtatiously at guests, and claps excitedly along with the audience when the song ends.

Austin's Beaver Nelson takes his turn in the four-man song-swap onstage, alongside local singer-songwriters Matt the Electrician, Nathan Hamilton, and Michael Fracasso. The vibe is mellow, except for the one very unhappy kid howling into his mother's bosom. All in all, it's a bucolic Sunday evening, adults chattering over beer and nachos while children dance and waitresses dodge them.

Many a parent with a child or two in tow has come out to the first installment of this song-pull at Jovita's, a free show taking place the first Sunday of every month. It's early enough for grownups to find their groove and late enough for offspring to wear themselves out just in time for bed.

The brainchild of booking agent Laura Thomas, Pop Stars: Dads Who Rock is not only a unique opportunity for singing-songwriting dads to bring their kids to work, it's also a chance for fans to see a different side of their favorite local musicians.

"As I book primarily songwriters, I wanted a songwriters' circle I could put on the road at some point," explains Thomas. "One common thread between some of the roster surfaced: I just so happened to book a few artists with kids. After talking to a lot of people, it seemed like everyone was interested in seeing another aspect of the artists' lives – being both family member/parent and performer.

"Eventually the idea surfaced for a family-friendly show where parents with kids could hear real music, and the performers would be okay with a kid or two running around," Thomas continues. "Nothing against the Wiggles, but it's nice to hear some music of substance now and then, especially for parents."

Matt "the Electrician" Sever agrees.

"There are people wanting to see music with their families," he nods. "We've had a lot of people that, you know, once you start having kids, you naturally meet other people with kids. You start talking to them, and the general consensus is that there should be more music out there from 5 to 7pm or 6 to 8pm or whatever.

"And Austin's really good about that. You've got Central Market North, Jovita's, Threadgill's – things like that. There are a lot of options in town; it just takes a bit of looking."

Not only are shows like these a respite for parents trying to maintain some semblance of a nightlife after baby's made three (or four or five), it's also the perfect way for audiences and musicians alike to share their love of music with wee ones. More than one parent danced with their kids on Jovita's dance floor, oblivious to everything but their personal moment.

But Pop Stars is about more than just bonding opportunities for parents and their children. It's also about the relationships between musicians.



Papa Was a Rollin' Stone (l-r): Nathan Hamilton, Michael Fracasso, Matt the Electrician, Beaver Nelson
"We're all in the same boat right now," says Beaver Nelson. "When we're not onstage together, one of two things is happening: We're either playing the same time they're playing, or we're at home taking care of the kids.

"I don't go out and see a whole lot of music anymore, but I'm out a lot because I'm playing. My night out in a bar is working. But it's great to hear people that you like playing."

Man in the Moon

Somewhere between the imaginative (but cloying) song-tales of the Wiggles and Pop Stars lies Joe McDermott, Austin's most popular purveyor of children's music.
Both in his solo act and with his Smart Little Creatures, which includes his wife Louise, who also takes his calls, answers his e-mails, and sets up his interviews, McDermott spins tales of jungle beasties and space invaders that are blessedly agenda-free. Rather than moralizing or attempting to be educational, McDermott infuses his stories with the élan of extreme youth, something he attributes to his role as dad to two sons, aged 10 and 8.

"Your life is just not your own anymore," he offers. "When you're really young, you tend to describe your yearning and your experiences, but when you become a parent, you're very concerned with other people and how your actions affect others. Parenthood, to me, is like a door that you walk through. Once you walk through it, everything looks different."

Seeing life through dad-colored glasses changed everything, such as McDermott taking his career a lot more seriously. As seriously as one can take singing about bouncing kangaroos, that is. Writing about life for those who see things from 3 feet high is joyous work, but it's also a mighty feat for someone responsible for feeding a family based on that perspective. But it works.

Watching a Joe McDermott show is an exercise in almost painful nostalgia. As the hoard of children in front of the stage bounce-bounce-bounce like the aforementioned marsupial, one vaguely recalls an era of youth when jumping like that meant possibly bumping your head on the ceiling, an impossibly high tree branch, and sometimes, even the moon.

"I just think life is so darn mysterious," smiles McDermott. "I come from a family that thinks they have everything figured out, which made me rebel in that I don't think I have everything figured out. That's the way kids are, too. They don't moralize things, they just experience them, and there's an inherent joy in that. That's why I love to perform for kids.

"I was in rock bands before I had kids," he continues. "I was out all the time; I was rarely ever home. When I had kids and had to start waking up at 6:30 every morning, it got really hard. That's when I started settling down and focusing more on being a writer than a player. I started focusing a lot more on recording than playing live."

At that point, he was still performing grownup music.

"I still am," he's quick to clarify. "I've been working on an album for about 100 years. I'm going to finish it soon."

– And the Women Who Support Them

In other, more ancient civilizations, the women lived together and raised children without much input from the men. When daddy was off on the hunt, day-to-day life remained more or less the same. In the not too distant past in our own culture, "work" was someplace daddy (and then mommy) left the house for, often wearing something strange-looking and uncomfortable. For the child, work was "away," and so was the parent.
Life as the child of a musician doesn't spell fancy dinners out five nights a week, nor does it necessarily mean that money for college is a given. What it does mean is that dad is home more often than your sandbox colleagues, who probably only know pops as that dude who comes home in time for dinner and may or may not do the tucking in and/or bathing.

"You've got a lot of free time to hang out with your kid," agrees Nathan Hamilton, whose daughter Lila is 3 years old. "I wouldn't trade that for anything. I get to spend so much time with her. If I were working a straight job, I'd be gone in the morning and come home at night in time to put her to bed. I'd much rather be struggling to pay the bills and have that time than not having to worry and just seeing her an hour a day."


Mr. Mom: Matt the Electrician
Photo By Todd V. Wolfson
Beaver Nelson, similar to Hamilton in his rough-hewn roots rock, is the father of 31é2-year-old Jack. He readily concurs with his musical colleague.

"Our kids are getting mommy and daddy most of the time, and like Nathan said, I wouldn't trade it. When we're on the road, I don't know how the wives do it. I really don't."

"I'd much rather have him be gone for three weeks at a time than gone every day," says Kathie Sever, wife of Matt the Electrician and mother of Ramona, 3, and Arlo, 2 months. "When your husband is gone for three weeks, your friends rally around you."

Sarah Bork Hamilton is on the same page.

"There's an acceptance among musicians' widows that this sucks, but let's make it better for each other. We meet up with friends at Little Stacy Pool then go out for pizza."

The two women have the natural rapport of close friends in similar domestic and professional situations. Both run their own businesses from home; Hamilton is a photographer, whose work provides a touching visual element to the Pop Stars package (www.sarahborkhamilton.com), and Sever designs a line of children's clothing called Ramonster (www.austinmama.com/ramonster.htm). Together, along with Jon Dee Graham's wife, Gretchen, the women form a close-knit support group of kindred souls who know what it's like to struggle in the service of a dream. Two dreams, actually.

"It's like, 'Whose financially unsuccessful business takes priority this week?'" Sever says wryly as she cradles Arlo. "We're both in full-on early business mode, investing lots of time, energy, and money into something we want to take off. It keeps me up at night."

"I have a block against that," says Hamilton. "I can't let myself think about it."

Both women and their husbands freely admit it's the women who carry the financial burden of the families, a job made increasingly complicated when they're thrust into round-the-clock child care when their husbands are on the road for weeks at a time.

"You just get into a groove with your kid," says Hamilton.

"It also gives you the opportunity to lay off yourself and just be with the kids," Sever adds.

While personal time is nearly impossible, being on duty 24-7 affords the women a break from worrying about money, their businesses, what have you. Like their husbands, the wives wouldn't trade their situations for anything.



Mama Told Me Not to Come (l-r): Stephanie and Jack Nelson; Paula Fracasso with Stella and Giovanni Fracasso; Kathie Sever with Ramona and Arlo; Sarah Bork Hamilton and Lila
Photo By Todd V. Wolfson
"I wouldn't put up with it if I didn't believe in him and didn't think he deserves to be outrageously successful," Hamilton urges.

"We're not rich and we don't get to go out to eat very often, but we're together as a family, and that's so valuable," says Sever.

"Life should be gratifying," Hamilton continues. "It's about finding your essence and expressing that."

"Austin creates a unique environment for musicians with families," says Sever.

Hamilton nods enthusiastically in agreement. "In my hometown, we would be so starving!"

"And angry," quips Sever.

"And angry," nods Hamilton. "There's so much support here for having made this life choice."

Coo de Tot

The marriage of family and musical career is nothing new under the blazing Austin sun. This is, after all, Groover's Paradise, onetime home of the Armadillo World Headquarters and Soap Creek Saloon, where the Sexton and Sahm brothers dozed in metal chairs while their parents got up to music and mischief. As long as Austin's been a mecca for musicians, it's been a romper room for their children as well.
The benefits of such a phenomenon pay off for a nonmusician population in that throughout the city's history, music has been available to those whose wardrobes include spit-up-stained BabyBjörns. And let's not forget the erstwhile AquaFest, which even in its über-lame waning years, featured a children's stage alongside blue-collar rockers like the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Parents who want to shell out a few extra dollars in September can bring their kids to the Austin City Limits Music Festival, the kiddie tent of which has hosted the Jellydots, the Biscuit Brothers, McDermott, and activist-mommy Sara Hickman. Even SXSW 04 hopped aboard the family-friendly bandwagon, offering free shows at Auditorium Shores each night of the festival, putting the Jellydots and Joe McDermott on the same bill as Los Lonely Boys.

Events like these happen more than twice a year. Every Friday and Saturday around 6pm, Central Market North plays host to, among other acts, a rotating roster of world-beat groups that routinely get tiny butts shaking in front of the stage. Central Market booker Shawn Hopper says parents with children are a prime demographic for his venue.

"If I book a band and all you can see in front of the stage is little kids dancing, it pretty much guarantees that I'll book that band again," he says. "Kids love something with a good beat to it because they love to dance."

Add to that Threadgill's outdoor stage and weekly gospel brunch, also a staple at Stubb's, and families can knock out an afternoon/early evening of dinner and entertainment all blessedly free of televised wardrobe malfunctions and shrill commercials.

The galleries and SoCo fashion strip of South Congress are also getting in on the family action. The Pop Stars recently appeared at landscape design and gardening shop Big Red Sun's Hello Birdie fundraiser, as well as a Coo de Tot kiddie fashion show.

Even the Longbranch Inn, a smoky bar on the eastside, tried to participate, hosting a short-lived residence for the Pop Stars that failed for logistical reasons. It seems that not too many parents were going to haul their kids out to a smoky bar at 9pm on a Thursday evening. The thought was there, though.

For the most part, those who live in certain ZIP codes in this city benefit from the fact that Austin, despite its city status, still functions in large parts like a town. So many events take place in central locations, which brings the same faces to the same places time and again.

This inevitably contributes to a sense of community among like-minded folks who live within walking distance (or a short drive) from many of these locales. The same moms and dads who meet at Jo's for coffee can take their kids to Jovita's for some music and dinner and go home a happy family. Groover's Paradise is growing up.

- The Chronicle (Austin, TX weekly) 2004

HOME: SEPTEMBER 15, 2006: MUSIC

ACL Music Fest Preview

Joe McDermott & the Smart Little Creatures

2:30pm, Austin Kiddie Limits stage
Joe McDermott combines a teaching background with a pop music pedigree to create effervescent songs, such as "Great Big World" and "Don't Drop a Brick on Your Foot," that resonate with both kids and adults. His local institution status was sealed in 2004 when he played with the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Always engaging and never patronizing, McDermott and his Smart Little Creatures are cabaret for toddlers. – Greg Beets - The Chronicle (Austin, TX weekly) 2006

Ebullience, humor, quirky originality, cool rock, jazz and country instrumentals and harmonies give Joe McDermott's new album all-ages appeal. The eclectic songs cover perils in the Everglades (Don't Get close to the Alligator") and a captivating trip to the shore ("Let's Go to the Beach"), with smooth, Beach Boys-type high harmonies. In "Clap Your Hands," McDermott uses hand-clapping and layers of unexpected, tuneful vocal harmonies to demonstrate how "Long before they invented instruments, people used to dance and sing" to nature music. The silly "Way Out West" and the change-of-pace sweet "Everything Grows" are pleasant listening but "My Cat Can Fly" and the swing-style "I Got Stuck in An Elevator" are a giggle and "Come to Hawaii," with its ukulele accompaniment and 1930's crooner touches, is a delight. The title track, a dad singing to his baby, is a rich song of the heart-- "Someday I'm gonna hold your little hand, walk around this great big world..."
By Lynne Heffley
- Parents' Choice - 2001

Children’s audio/video GREAT BIG WORLD Joe McDermott, True Blue Music (Big Kids Productions, dist., 800-477-7811), CD $14.99

Like fellow performer Justin Roberts..., McDermott knows of what he sings: he, too, was a Montessori teacher before becoming a recording artist. This follow-up to his award-winning I Am Baby again goes right to the heart of topics and tunes that grab kids’ attention. Spanish guitar, country and western are among the influences found in McDermott’s 10 original, clever compositions. Excellent supporting vocals and skillful guitar playing give his friendly vocals an extra boost. “Let’s Go To The Beach” is a bouncy Beach Boys-inspired ditty about the great times to be had in the sun, sand and surf. The cheerful harmonies on “Clap Your Hands” will surely make listeners eager to join in and make music anyway they can. In “My Cat Can Fly,” a kid is boggled by his pet’s amazing abilities: “My cat can fly,/ my cat can fly/ I feed her regular cat chow,/ but my cat can fly.” And the breezy ukulele tinged “Come To Hawaii” extols the virtues of a backyard paradise replete with canned pineapple, cardboard palm trees and a wading pool. McDermott succeeds in providing an inventive musical outing for the whole family. Ages 2 and up. - Publishers Weekly - March 12, 2001

January 2000

What fun! There’s something for everyone in this delightful recording from Joe McDermott. Young preschoolers can share their pride in their accomplishments in “Little White Shoes.” “Don’t Drop a Brick on Your Foot (It Will Hurt)” is a funny song about a painful experience, giving listeners a time to howl with pain (if they can do so without laughing). “What’s Not to Love About a Skink?” and “I Am Baby” are the best songs in this collection. The first song is an older brother’s account of an unusual animal his younger brother brings home, and the latter presents all the trouble a baby can cause. The closing lullaby by Stan and Jan Berenstain is beautifully but simply performed, a nice ending to a very enjoyable recording. Lyrics are simple and easy to follow for young listeners, but have snap and punch that older children will appreciate. There are even science facts slipped into the lyrics. Vocal harmonies and instrumentation enrich the songs without overwhelming McDermott’s clear and pleasant voice. Review truncated for faster reading. - School Library Journal / Donna J. Dettman St. Charles Public Library, IL

EVERYWHERE YOU GO, by Joe McDermott, True Blue Music, $15.00, ages 4-8;

As a big fan of Joe McDermott's 2001 children's release, "Great Big World," I was really looking forward to his newest recording. When it arrived, I immediately had to give it a listen. Wow! As I suspected, his songwriting remains stellar, but the first thing that jumped out at me was the elaborate, though not excessive, production quality and the creative, meaningful and well-thought-out themes. I enjoy his storytelling style of singing a song that gently get important points across to children, as in "Patience and Time," a song that weaves the importance of our public librarians in with the idea of planting some seeds and waiting for the wonderful results. "Baby Kangaroo" is a bouncy little story about picking out a pet. The craftsmanship with which McDermott arranges the song in the doo-wop vocal extravaganza spotlights his ever-growing creative abilities. And his knack for writing memorable choruses will hook you in and have singing along the next time "get yourself a baby kangaroo" comes around. The instrumental introduction to "Transportation Vacation," with its trombone, vibes and muted trumpet, is so cool that I didn't want it to end. Luckily it led into a fun little journey supported with a soulful Bo Diddley groove. McDermott's songwriting shines again on the title track, "everywhere You Go," a touching song in which he paints a wonderful picture of his neighborhood full of friends who will help you out when you need it. A big band number follows as McDermott gives a tip of the hat to the importance of being polite, but extols the virtues of sometimes making a lot of "Noise." And, "Thank You Mud," with its string quartet introduction, is a quirky and silly remedy for those times when the story you are concocting is in need of an ending: Just ad a little mud. This recording is filled with other great child-centered songs, including "Spider Detective," "Flying Saucer," and the uplifting and danceable "Let Your Light Shine," where we are reminded, "What you give is what you gain." Joe McDermott is quickly emerging as one of the most promising artists in children's music with his imaginative songs, outstanding musical arrangements and sincere approach. He deserves all the attention and national exposure he can get. - CHICAGO PARENT - MAY 2003 By Fred Koch

Joe McDermott has a youthful face, voice, and imagination, and Everywhere You Go practically brims with his boyish energy and verve. In the vivid, “Flying Saucer,” McDermott turns a routine dog walk into a visit from an “inter-galactic ice-cream ship.” In the supremely silly “Thank You Mud,” he expresses gratitude to the gloppy stuff that “…makes the baby laugh/ And it makes your momma cry.” The rootsy rocker identifies with children on a very basic level, and that comes through his music loud and clear. - Family Fun Magazine -- May 2004 By Moira McCormick