The Parenting Panel with Esther Crow (and a Video Premiere!)
Photographed by Jolie DuFrane
Born and raised in NYC, Esther Crow is an award-winning singer, songwriter and teacher. She is the cofounder of The Electric Mess, a garage-punk band formed in 2007 (which has recorded 5 albums, and toured throughout the U.S., and Europe) and the founder of Thunder & Sunshine, a rock band for kids formed in 2017. She started writing music for kids after the birth of her son, Vincent Crow (now 7), in 2013. Thunder & Sunshine, a 6 piece band with 3 female singers, released one album in 2017, which received an Award of Excellence from the Film Advisory Board. One song off the album, Monster in the Closet, was a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition in 2019. She released her debut solo album for kids, All Together Now, produced by Grammy-winning engineer Dean Jones, on June 25th. Crow and her puppets (and sometimes, her family) perform regularly throughout NYC, weaving comedy and kindness into each show, while encouraging kids to shake instruments and move to the beat of her groovy tunes. Each of her puppets have big personalities and dance moves of their own; like Bernie the Bee who loves to eat anchovies and dance to the sound of a kazoo. Her puppets are also featured on her debut album. During the month of August, she will donate half of all album sales to EarthJustice.
All Together Now
Thunder & Sunshine
How many children do you have? And what are their names and ages?
I just have one- Vincent Crow, about to turn 8 (August 9th!). But he often has the energy of 3!! LOL.
Did you have fears or concerns about how becoming a parent would interfere with your artistic endeavors?
I don't recall having fears because the plan was to quit my "day job" after giving birth, to be a stay-at-home mom. Admittedly, this is a very privileged position to be in, as an artist in this country, even when taking care of a child/family, because many MANY artists need full time jobs (or gig work) to survive. I have a husband who has a good job, and we worked all this out before Vincent arrived. Then a monkey wrench got thrown in: my mom had a series of health complications, during my pregnancy, which rendered her dependent. Long story short: I had to juggle managing her care and planning for a newborn. Then, after Vincent was born, I had to simultaneously care for both of them (with paid help). We ended up renovating her apartment (where I was born and raised) and moving in with her. It became a well-oiled machine- after finally getting Medicaid, with 6 days a week help for my mom-- but the beginning was very rough as it was so much change at once. All of that said: before my mom's decline, I think I recall being a little excited that I would no longer have a desk job and be able to just care for a new baby and write songs. So for me: it may have been the opposite than it is for more established artists who may fear that they won't have sufficient time to create their art after a new child arrives. I thought I might have MORE time for art!
In what ways has parenthood helped your creativity, if any?
Considering all of the above: parenthood, and being a caregiver for my mother, somehow helped me immensely with writing songs. Sometimes, when things are hard, ideas will come out of that. I distinctly recall being at the laundromat when Vincent was only about 6 months old, and we had just moved into a depressing temporary apartment while our main apt was being renovated. I told myself that the feelings I was having- fear, resentment, anxiety- shouldn't be taken seriously since everything changes when we least expect it to. The one thing you can always count on, for better or worse, is CHANGE. Right then and there, between the washers and the dryers, I came up with the song, Believe in Change, which I later recorded with my 6-piece Kindie band: Thunder & Sunshine. I also managed to put this band together (assembling some very talented NYC musicians, most of whom I already knew/worked with before) and write a full album during that tumultuous year (2014). This was my first foray into children's music and I'm very proud of that album!
Here's Believe in Change
Have you ever written a song for or about your kids? If so please share a description and a link.
I wrote a dreamy psychedelic song called Ocean, which was sort of written for both my mom and my son. I started playing around with a chord progression during shut-down, and it was so simple and pretty. The words and theme came fairly quickly. My mom seemed to like it immediately, and I know that's also because I use my higher register (she's a former soprano from the Met Opera). I'm not as comfy singing that high, or delicate, but it works for this song. And Vincent plays violin towards the end which makes it very special. The ocean in the song is kind of a metaphor for both of them, and for all the kids who will inherit the earth: "must keep you safe...." (from plastic, pollution etc. Yes, I had to get political/environmental of course!). One more thing: as soon as the track was mixed and mastered, I brought earbuds to the hospital where my mom was, just 2 weeks before she died, and played it for her in her hospital bed. I'll never forget the look on her face. Very peaceful, and happy. She smiled and asked "is that YOU singing??" She seemed to approve, and I'll carry that memory with me always. She loved the ocean, and I scattered some of her ashes off the Jersey Shore just last week. We're making a video for the song next month, using green screen, and I'll include some ocean images but also images of my mom.
Here's the track: https://open.spotify.com/track/2j1I0FN5iqwoHG1IwlDFjC?si=d13a43d1520046f9
Has the pandemic taken away or added to your creative flow? Are you taking good care of yourself these days?
The pandemic took away in-person everything, and all artists had to scramble-- like I did-- to learn new technologies and embrace platforms like Zoom, Instagram Live, Facebook Live, etc. It was quite strange in the beginning. And a little lonely and off-putting. (We also realized we needed some upgrades like a better mic for recordings and live shows.) But actually, this was a good thing for me because I'm a technophobe, and I got over some fears and learned some new skills, like IMovie, for instance. I started editing together videos for myself, and for venues like Fort Greene Park Conservancy (I've curated three shows for them now. The next one will be airing this Saturday, 7/31 at 11am on their YouTube and features Father Goose and Friends!) Two other pluses that came out of it: I really got to know a ton of other Kindie artists, across the States, and across the world, and even took part in theThe Switch on Global Telethon fundraiser for endangered species, sponsored by an Australian radio station, Funky Kids Radio. It was such a great experience and I'm now aware of all these great musicians in that part of the world, and Europe, South America, and all over. I also became involved with on-going efforts in the Kindie community to expand opportunities for BIPOC artists, and to dismantle systemic racism in our institutions. I've gotten to know-- and am learning a lot from-- artists who are at the forefront of these efforts, like Ann Toralba (Little Miss Ann), Mils Trills (Amelia Robinson), Uncle Devin, and Alphabet Rockers- just to name a few.
How have you been managing parenting during the pandemic? What has been the hardest part and what is the silver lining?
Parenting during this strange time has been tough. Not gonna lie! Spring 2020 was extremely challenging. We opted to keep Vincent home for an entire year, mainly to keep my mom safe. The hardest part was trying to manage screen time, and figure out alternatives to it. We're very lucky because our apartment is close to two city parks, and the parks literally saved us. I think it definitely made us appreciate them more. One silver lining is that we spent so much more time with my mom. We cooked a ton (mainly my husband, Dan, who is an awesome cook) and shared most dinners together. We played a lot of music together, and put on shows for my mom, having no idea that it would be our last year with her. (Shut-down was March 17th, 2020 in NYC and she passed March 29th, 2021.) Another unexpected silver lining is that Vincent and I started getting really into puppet-making, especially in the colder months. We got super resourceful and started gathering materials from around the house, like socks and scraps of material, and held on to recyclables like toothpaste, tissue and cereal boxes. Then we started giving them personalities and made funny videos. It was so enjoyable and was a way for us to bond while being creative together. I hope to get back into it this coming Fall and Winter. We even held music and puppet-making classes over Zoom which became pretty popular. We may bring those back, as well!
Here's a promo I made that shows the various puppets: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=TVcUk0giWFI&list=PLZxWCELwbj9twrWMksbDiP1P048voub7d&index=2
Bees, Beavers and Bats is a song I wrote in late 2019. I wanted to write more environmental justice songs, and so I researched various animals. I discovered that these three creatures are crucial to the environment and the balance of our ecosystems. Somehow, a jazz riff came to me and I packed the song with a ton of educational lyrics. I knew immediately that jazz-crooner, and 2x Grammy-winning Kindie artist, Lucy Kalantari, would be perfect 2nd vocalist for it. I was so excited and humbled that she agreed to be a featured artist on the track. Lastly, I wanted to make a Schoolhouse Rock -type video for it, and contacted the wonderful illustrator/animator, Elena Fox (who also did my album artwork). And, VOILA!! Here it is! Hope you enjoy it!