It's 'Monkey Business' for Richland musician
CD focuses on kids - but grown-ups will like it, too, artist says
By Genoa Sibold-Cohn
Tri-City Herald staff writerApril 2005
During Eric Herman's stint playing coffeehouses, the Richland man was most loved for the songs he sang for kids. Singing classic tunes like "If I Only Had a Brain" eventually became Herman's porthole into a career of writing and singing his own children's music.
Herman is scheduled to release his second children's CD, Monkey Business, this month.
The CD features Tri-City kids Dylan Hartwig, Mikah Turpin, Catherine Evans, Hannah Evans and Conner Mertens of The Academy of Children's Theatre in Richland. Nina Powers from the Mid-Columbia Symphony played the violin on one of the tracks. Spencer Shoemaker, 14, of Richland, plays a wise-cracking kid on a song called "Blackbeard, Bluebeard and Redbeard." Oh, and the CD also features Herman's "invisible band."
Herman will celebrate Monkey Business' release by playing free shows at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. April 23 at the Children's Museum of the Three Rivers at Broadmoor Square Mall in Pasco.
Herman's real name is Eric Endres, but he uses his middle name, Herman, for his kids' music.
The father of two girls launched his career in children's music after scouring libraries for other artists and learning what was on the market. Herman said he was drawn to contemporary sounds and the bands Ralph's World, Trout Fishing in America and They Might Be Giants.
Herman also recognizes that children's music can't just be targeted to young kids. It also has to appeal to their parents and families who will be listening, too.
"If your kids have a CD, the odds are that they are going to listen to it over and over," Herman said.
Herman has gotten a lot of help with words to his songs from Spokane poet Kenn Nesbitt. Nesbitt wrote about half the lyrics on Monkey Business and Herman's first CD, The Kid in the Mirror.
Herman's music isn't designed to send kids messages or provide a moral lesson. He's more concerned with entertaining kids with his songs about singing monkeys, pirates and army ants.
"The best words or the best message is going to mean nothing if it's not a catchy song or if it doesn't have entertainment value," Herman said.
Of course, his biggest critic will tell him is the music works - his 2-year-old daughter Becca.
"She is our No. 1 product tester," Herman said, noting that Becca knows all the words to his songs.
CD focuses on kids - but grown-ups will like it, too, artist says
By Genoa Sibold-Cohn
Tri-City Herald staff writerApril 2005
During Eric Herman's stint playing coffeehouses, the Richland man was most loved for the songs he sang for kids. Singing classic tunes like "If I Only Had a Brain" eventually became Herman's porthole into a career of writing and singing his own children's music.
Herman is scheduled to release his second children's CD, Monkey Business, this month.
The CD features Tri-City kids Dylan Hartwig, Mikah Turpin, Catherine Evans, Hannah Evans and Conner Mertens of The Academy of Children's Theatre in Richland. Nina Powers from the Mid-Columbia Symphony played the violin on one of the tracks. Spencer Shoemaker, 14, of Richland, plays a wise-cracking kid on a song called "Blackbeard, Bluebeard and Redbeard." Oh, and the CD also features Herman's "invisible band."
Herman will celebrate Monkey Business' release by playing free shows at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. April 23 at the Children's Museum of the Three Rivers at Broadmoor Square Mall in Pasco.
Herman's real name is Eric Endres, but he uses his middle name, Herman, for his kids' music.
The father of two girls launched his career in children's music after scouring libraries for other artists and learning what was on the market. Herman said he was drawn to contemporary sounds and the bands Ralph's World, Trout Fishing in America and They Might Be Giants.
Herman also recognizes that children's music can't just be targeted to young kids. It also has to appeal to their parents and families who will be listening, too.
"If your kids have a CD, the odds are that they are going to listen to it over and over," Herman said.
Herman has gotten a lot of help with words to his songs from Spokane poet Kenn Nesbitt. Nesbitt wrote about half the lyrics on Monkey Business and Herman's first CD, The Kid in the Mirror.
Herman's music isn't designed to send kids messages or provide a moral lesson. He's more concerned with entertaining kids with his songs about singing monkeys, pirates and army ants.
"The best words or the best message is going to mean nothing if it's not a catchy song or if it doesn't have entertainment value," Herman said.
Of course, his biggest critic will tell him is the music works - his 2-year-old daughter Becca.
"She is our No. 1 product tester," Herman said, noting that Becca knows all the words to his songs.
