Ralph’s World teaches kids to rock.
By:Susan Van Dongen
Mister Rogers can be intimidating. Even though the Sweatered One has passed on, he still carries a lot of clout, at least in children’s music.
That’s why recording artist Ralph Covert of Ralph’s World is a little worried. His sixth release, Green Gorilla, Monster and Me (Mini Fresh), has been nominated for a Grammy in the children’s music category. But he’s up against some formidable folks, including a collection of singers and musicians who have done a compilation CD in remembrance of Mr. Rogers. That’s a shoo-in for the top award, he senses.
"I’m also competing against Tom Chapin," he says, speaking from his home in Chicago. "But it’s a thrill just to be nominated. The music industry has so many mile markers of success, and most of them are complete mirages. With my rock band, the Bad Examples, our philosophy has always been that we measure success by people weaving the threads of our music into their lives. For example, when they’d come up and say, ‘You’re my favorite doing-the-dishes band’ that’s success, because it means we’ve really connected."
Mr. Covert hopes he’ll connect with folks in central New Jersey when Ralph’s World makes an all-ages stop at McCarter Theatre in Princeton Feb. 4. Fans of children’s music might also like to check out the all-ages show with Dan Zanes Feb. 25, for the more folksy side of Sesame Street.
A one-man musical universe, Mr. Covert’s songs have been described as "rock ‘n’ roll for kindergarteners." Check out the power-pop lead-off track "Dance Around," or the Ramones-esque "I Don’t Wanna," for example. He really seems to have the ability to tap into the kind of stuff parents especially former rockers grew up listening to. It’s not the mind-numbing music of Barney or the Teletubbies that delights kids but makes moms and dads weep. Mr. Covert’s intention all along was not to make kids’ music, but great records kids will love.
When his own children started to come along, he admits being driven a little crazy by what the little ones were listening to.
"Kids’ music fails in a couple of ways," Mr. Covert says. "You have artists who have a background and ability to connect with kids, but they haven’t had the opportunity to develop the skills to make music that connects with adults as well. Writing a great song and making a record takes a lot of skill.
"On the other hand," he continues. "You have people like Harry Connick Jr. who made a children’s record who have tremendous writing and musical skills, and can connect with adults, but lack something as far as connecting with kids. I got lucky. With the Bad Examples, I was in a position to develop my trick bag for recording, writing, performing all those things."
Somewhere between the Care Bears and Harry Connick Jr., Mr. Covert implies, is honest, quality music that appeals to both parents and kids.
Interestingly, he’s seen a boost in sales of his work with the Bad Examples. Parents got to know Mr. Covert’s songs from sharing Ralph’s World with their kids and started checking out his "adult" music.
A songwriter since age 8, Mr. Covert never imagined he’d be a Grammy-nominated kids’ artist.
"I always had a vivid imagination," he says. "I grew up listening to The Beatles, like a million other kids. When I first started playing guitar in high school, my dad gave me money to go to the store and buy an instruction book. Dad had this vision of me playing ‘Turkey in the Straw,’ but I came back with Alice Cooper. I wanted to learn ‘I’m Eighteen.’
"A boy’s gotta rock," Mr. Covert continues, recalling a time long ago when he did a solo in his church choir, came up and grabbed the mike and leaned into it like Elvis might.
"I shocked a few people," he says with a laugh. "They said, ‘That’s not the way we do it in church.’"
Mr. Covert first made his name as leader of Chicago-based power-popsters the Bad Examples, releasing 10 successful group and solo discs in the U.S. and abroad. His career took an unexpected turn when a representative from a local Chicago label inquired about his interest in making a children’s record, to which Mr. Covert said "absolutely not."
That’s where the idea for "a great record that kids would love" came about.
"I was teaching in the ‘Wiggleworms’ program at the Old Town School of Folk Music, just doing it part time, playing acoustic music for about a dozen kids," Mr. Covert says. "That’s the thing. When it’s you, your guitar and a roomful of kids, if they like what you’re doing, you know immediately. If they don’t, same thing. So teaching this class gave me the chance to really hone this set of songwriting and performing skills. This started even before my first album. It was almost like a focus group.
"When a guy from a local label asked me if I wanted to make a kids’ record, I said, let’s not worry about over-thinking this, let’s keep it simple and honest, and make something good," he continues. "Really, though, writing a kids’ song is exactly like writing a non-kids’ song. Your core ability to synthesize and gather information is the same."
Still, would Bob Dylan or Richard Thompson think about writing "We Are Ants," Ralph’s World’s hand-clapper from the CD Kid Astro? Could Elvis Costello come up with "Yum! Yuk!" from the latest release?
In addition to being a rocker and children’s artist, Mr. Covert is an award-winning playwright who just saw his new musical, A Nutcracker Christmas, produced by the Emerald City Theatre Company in Chicago. It’s his first conventional musical composed and co-written for children. Sawdust and Spangles and Streeterville, both historical, critically acclaimed dramas, were Mr. Covert’s two initial collaborations with playwright G. Riley Mills.
Before he got into music full-time, he also considered being a teacher. In fact, by teaching music, Mr. Covert says he’s helping kids to become more intelligent overall.
"Ninety-five percent of children’s brain growth happens before the age of 5," he says. "Literally, the things you expose them to change the shape and physical make up of the brain. Because music is a math skill, music classes cause significant cognitive development in fact, the average musician has more brain mass. So with teaching music, including rock ‘n’ roll, you have pure fun and a sense of community, but it also brings developmental gifts to the kids as well.
"Making kids’ music is such a blast," Mr. Covert continues. "It’s deepened me as an artist. The range of subject matter is as endless as a child’s imagination. It’s a liberating process. I didn’t look at it as a detour from my rock career, just an extension of what I was already doing."
Ralph’s World will perform at McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, Princeton, Feb. 4, 11 a.m. Tickets cost $15. Dan Zanes will perform at McCarter Feb. 25, 11 a.m. Tickets cost $16. For information, call (609) 258-2787. On the Web: www.mccarter.org. Ralph’s World on the Web: www.ralphsworld.com