Rainbow Rumpus is dedicated to helping adults find the best in children’s music—music adults can enjoy, too! All of our featured artists donate their work to the site to support LGBT-headed families. We hope you’ll support them by buying their music.
Justin Roberts started his career in the late 90s as the leader of the indie-rock band, Pimentos for Gus. To help pay the bills, Justin worked as a Montessori preschool teacher by day. It wasn't long before Justin was writing and singing songs for his students. The kids immediately responded and demanded more. Justin made a home recording of his songs and sent them to his close friends as a Christmas gift. One of those recipients was Liam Davis, college pal and record producer. Liam suggested they record the songs professionally and release a CD. The collection of songs became known as Great Big Sun, Justin's first children's CD, released in 1998. Success and recognition quickly followed. Sesame Street Parents Magazine named the CD its "Best Music Gift of the Year." Justin quit his day job and hit the road. It wasn't long before the shows began selling out and the orders started rolling in.
Over the next few years, Justin released several more critically acclaimed CDs. In 2001, Justin's second album, Yellow Bus, received a Parents' Choice Gold Award and contained Justin's first hit. In 2003, Justin's third release, Not Naptime was honored by the Parents' Choice organization with a Gold Award, calling it one of the best 25 CDs for children released in the past 25 years. The New York Times followed up with a front page Arts Section feature. In 2004, his Way Out CD won yet another Parents' Choice Gold award, while Child Magazine and Amazon.com called it one of the top 10 family recordings of the year.
Today, Justin continues to find ways to take his act to the next level. He just completed four ground-breaking new music videos produced by Oil Factory (Coldplay, Gwen Stefani, Rob Thomas, Madonna) and directed by Tomorrow's Brightest Minds (Death Cab for Cutie, Dandy Warhols). The videos are currently in heavy rotation on the Noggin family network. He is currently working on a new CD, Pop Fly, which will be released in 2008.
Who are some of your musical influences?
Way too many to mention. I'm a giant music geek. I love to find new things that I've never heard and I still buy old LPs. I listen to a variety of stuff: indie rock, country, folk, motown, punk, ska, world music. Some of my all-time favorites artists are: Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Frank Sinatra, the Ramones, James Taylor, Paul Simon, Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, Fountains of Wayne, the Beach Boys, Serge Gainsbourg, and Guided by Voices. In terms of kids' music, I love what Bob Dorough did with the early School House Rock songs.
In the 1990s, you were in the band Pimentos for Gus; Do you still compose music for adults, or has your focus been primarily on children?
I do still write songs for adults, but primarily my focus is on the family music. I released a CD in 1999 called Bright Becomes Blue, which is for grown-ups. I hope to record another one before the end of this decade. It just hasn't happened yet.
Is it easier to write music for adults or children?
I think writing songs can be difficult no matter who your audience is. With the kids' music, I'm really hoping to reach the adults as well as the kids so that can be a difficult balance. I never really know if it works for both audiences until I get feedback from kids and parents. I try to make all my kids songs have fun musical hooks and humorous and/or emotionally resonant lyrics, so that they work for me as an adult. So I take as much care in composing them as the songs that I would write for an adult audience.
Are you still connected to education? Could you ever see yourself going back to teaching?
I still work in schools at various times throughout the year. I do songwriting workshops and various assemblies with Liam Davis. We really enjoy helping to facilitate the kids' creativity. It's a nice change from writing, recording, and performing. And it can be pretty exhilarating to see what kids will come up with.
You’ve played for crowds of thousands of people—have you gotten used to that, or is it still intimidating?
Truthfully, I always have a bit of anxiety every time I step on stage, whether it is a small classroom of kids or a giant festival of families. I guess some of my band members would say I have a bit of anxiety off the stage as well. But, I like to think it can lead to a better performance. I have a new song that will be on my upcoming CD Pop Fly called "Giant-Sized Butterflies," which is about a first day of school but it is also about how these little anxieties can be the seeds of creativity and new experiences.
Do you test kids’ reactions to songs before they are recorded? Are there a lot rewrites, or do you pretty much know right away when you’ve got a great song?
Most often, I record the songs first and figure out how to make them work live later on. The first time I played "Willy Was a Whale" live I almost bored the kids to tears. Then I figured out how to add some fun interaction to it and now it is an often requested favorite. It's funny how that works.
Some songs are created pretty quickly but most often I toil over them a bit. I'm usually messing with the words until right before I record it. Sometimes I immediately know that I'm happy with certain parts but I really want everything to feel right before it is complete. I also always play the songs I'm working on for my wife and then also for my friend and producer, Liam Davis. Both of them give some great honest feedback and encouragement, which helps tremendously.
Do you have any dream projects you’d like to be involved in?
We have been contemplating a DVD or TV show for quite awhile. We have some really great ideas for the show with some hilarious dry humor and silly absurdities that really appeal to me. It feels like a visual version of the records. It just hasn't quite all come together yet. Hopefully, it will.
What would you like to say to children who have GLBT family members?
I'm sorry that we live in a world where people are treated differently because of whom they love. But, ultimately having a family that loves you is all that really matters. It seems like the tide is slowly changing, so hopefully when you grown up, we will live in a world where everyone is more accepting of others.
Click here to listen to Justin's "Song For You." >>
Justin Roberts has generously donated this clip of “Song For You” to Rainbow Rumpus. Please respect his generosity by listening on site only. “Song For You” is available for purchase at his website.
This song was originally published as part of Meltdown in 2006. © Copyright 2007 by Justin Roberts.
Support the artists that support Rainbow Rumpus! Meltdown is available for purchase at http://www.justinroberts.org/music_meltdown.php. Your purchase helps Rainbow Rumpus bring more great writing, music and video to you. Go to Justin’s website and buy Meltdown today!
