The Parenting Panel with John Taglieri
1. How many children do you have? And what are their names and ages?
I have two children. Harmony Grace is an amazing little 7-year old girl and Coda is my about to be 2-year old son! Both are awesome kids and I’m very lucky to be there dad.
2. Did you have fears or concerns about how becoming a parent would interfere with your artistic endeavors?
Yes, I did. At the time, I was touring full time and on the road about 300 days a year. It’s why I waited so long to have kids. I knew that it would change everything. I had amazing parents and always wanted to be present, which meant I didn’t want to be a Skype dad. I toured for most of the first two years of my daughters life, but when she started to realize I was leaving, I stopped. It was more important to be home for her than keep touring. I’d already done so much as an artist that it was an easy decision.
3. In what ways has parenthood helped your creativity, if any?
Its definitely been a BIG help! I have a lot more creative juices to pull from now when I try to create. My kids are a constant source of fun stuff as well as inspiration and its really widened my palette as far as what I have to work with when I sit down to write. I get to see life through their eyes now and it reminds me of a lot of things i’d probably overlook otherwise and thats a big help in the writing process.
4. What has parenthood taught you about yourself, your music, or your creative process?
Honestly, how to be more patient! LOL. I have always lived very present and very NOW. I moved at a million miles per hour. My kids have taught me to slow down and appreciate little things more. To watch and be even more present than i used to be and not miss the small details...and also not to sweat them either. To watch them enjoy something adults take for granted and do it with such enthusiasm makes you stop and wonder when we stopped being so eager to have fun and see the small things all around us that make life wonderful.
5. How do you juggle your family and your career? Who’s your support system?
I have an amazing support system of my wife, some truly close and reliable friends, and my team of my publicist Ariel Hyatt, my manager Dave Tedder and my agent Ari Nisman...all of whom i’ve been working with 15-20 years. They tell it to me like it is with a great honesty and we’ve had a lot to celebrate over the years as well. My wife is utterly amazing and has been on board with this crazy rise for the whole 18+ years we’ve been together. My kids inspire me as well. To be a great dad is what I strive for and showing them that hard work and putting in the time gets the job done is important to me.
7. What’s one thing you wish someone had told you before you became a parent? Any advice for others?
Sleep while you can. Lol. Kids don’t let you get a lot of that when they first show up. Lol. And don’t rush into parenthood so early. I waited. My wife and I went and did ALL the things we wanted so that when we finally had kids, we had no ‘I'll never get to do_____’ regrets.
9. Have you ever written a song for or about your kids?
YES! I was in Nashville about to head to a writing session when my wife and I found out we were pregnant with Harmony Grace! So obviously that became the subject of the writing session. The song that came out is called ‘Days Like These’. My co-writer that day, Bobby James, and I tried to craft a song that wasn’t a blatant ‘I’m gonna be a dad’ song, but once you know thats what it’s about, you see it. It’s more of a life’s about t change song, but completely about becoming a dad. My daughter even made it into the video!
11. How have you been managing parenting during the pandemic? What has been the hardest part and what is the silver lining?
Its been hard to say the least. Here in MA, all music was closed and still mostly is. For a good portion of it early on, i was the home school teacher while my wife was still working. So music took a big backseat to life in general. Along the way, my studio got busier, so that was great. Since artists couldn’t be playing live, they started coming in to create...which is AWESOME. But being locked up with the kids in the beginning was definitely tough. Though I think more on them than my wife and I. My son was still in daycare, and too young to realize much. But my daughter took the full brunt of losing her friends and being isolated and you could see how it wore on her. Shes an amazing kid, but the lack of socialization...which is SO important at that age...was a problem. We are just now seeing some of the results of it as school is starting up again. The hardest part for me was simply staying motivated to do things and not just lay on the couch. LoL. If there was ANY silver lining, it was being completely home for the kids for the first time. No local gigs, no weekend tours...nothing. Home. 100% there and present. I got to see my sons first year in a way i didn’t get to see my daughters, so that was amazing and made it worth it in a way. LoL.