Kidstuff, broadcast by WDVX weekly at 10:00 am on Saturday mornings, hosted by Sean McCollough and in front of a live audience once a month, has been producing quality programing for children (and their adults) since the summer of 2011. Thanks to the Community Outreach Grant through the Bijou Theatre, Kidstuff will host a free concert this Saturday morning at 10:00 am, broadcast live from the beautiful Bijou with the Billy Jonas Band.
I first experienced Kidstuff in 2012 and became an instant fan. In my article about the show, I said:
This concept could so easily translate into wonderful programming for PBS on a Saturday morning. It might even edge out some of the thirty minute promotional videos for Disney accessories the network channels offer. Who knows what can happen when we really respect children?
At the heart of every show produced over the thirteen years is a respect for the intelligence of the children and a desire to have them experience quality music and to appreciate live performance. I spoke briefly with Sean to learn more about his motivations for the show, the journey it has taken, and about the upcoming performance at the Bijou.
Sean said his interest in playing music for children started with playing music for his oldest child when she was small. That led to invitations to play at schools and “it turned into a thing.” He didn’t expect it to become a career-defining thing, “but it has.” He found that he enjoyed it and when WDVX was looking for children’s programming, he’d just put out a children’s album, so they approached him. “That was thirteen years ago, which seems kind of amazing at this point.”
The show continued during the pandemic with recorded shows and offered new opportunities for Sean as national children’s artists looked for outlets while they could not perform live. Sarah Watkins of Nickle Creek had just put out a children’s album and he had the good fortune to interview her for the show, for example. The show continued and slowly returned to similar-sized live audience.
I’m a big believer that experiencing music live is important, so that’s one reason that I do the live shows . . . Both the recorded and live shows, I try to not talk or play down to the kids, but to play intelligent music, whether it’s music that was made for kids or not. I have a lot of adults who say they tune in on Saturday mornings because they enjoy listening to something that feels good, and is still smart and feels good at the same time . . . I try to avoid the stuff that panders to the lowest common denominator . . . and instead try to choose stuff that is well done musically, well done lyrically, and that I think kids will still like.
Sean felt like the Bijou grant was an opportunity to present an artist they might not easily get on the small stage at WDVX (though Jonas did perform there once), as well as a potential opportunity to expand their audience. The Bijou offers their facilities and support personnel (lighting, sound, ushers) and the show had to deliver the artist.
Sean feels that Billy Jonas is one of the finest artists for children and his recordings make their way onto many Kidstuff episodes. “He writes smart songs, funny songs, inspiring songs, and he also is very good at engaging the audience . . . it’s very participatory.” Billy plays guitar and traditional instruments, but also uses random objects to make music, and he’s bringing a band. Sean anticipates a big sound that will fill the theatre and a lot of fun for everyone.
He and Sean also share a bit of a historical connection around the song “Some Houses.” (See video below) Sean said, “When I was in my twenties, I played a show in the backyard of a house on White Avenue in Fort Sanders. The house was the home of the Foundation for Global Sustainability.” Sean opened and then The Billies, including Billy Jonas ended the night. Even though the night was for adults, Billy had the audience involved throughout and he played that song that would years later would show up on his children’s album. “It’s a song that has environmental overtones, but also is super fun. It works for an adult audience and for kids.”
Sean pointed out that a hundred years ago many more people made their own music and that made it more accessible, in a sense, to everyone. Now everything is highly produced and it’s easy to feel detached from the possibility of making music, as if we no longer think ourselves capable.
But kids do. Kids still feel like they can be part of it. That’s one of my favorite things: They’re uninhibited, they’ll still sing, and then their parents do it, which is even better in some ways. I love community music-making and I am sad that we don’t have that as much as we did in the past. Doing music with kids is a way to bring that all back around.
He’s hopeful to do more events like this in the future, perhaps annually. He’d love to expand the audience by taking it out of the studio more often at a range of locations. As a start, he’d love to see you at this free show at the Bijou this Saturday morning. It’s not only a great chance to hear some good live music and have the children experience the same, it’s a chance to introduce your children to one of our great cultural icons in the form of the lovely Bijou Theatre.
Billy Jonas will certainly live up to his billing. He’s performed at the White House, and gotten accolades from the Parent’s Choice Awards who said of his music “. . . lush talent . . . musically rich . . . hilarious . . . lovely . . . a near perfect blend of great music and playfully educational messages.” The New York Times called his music “witty, smart, raw . . . “
Make it out Saturday morning, if you can. If not, tune into WDVX each Saturday morning at 10:00 am for Kidstuff and drop into the studio once each month for Kidstuff Live.