Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cheryl DaVeiga. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cheryl, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

What creates meaning for me is touching hearts. In that regard, as a songwriter and author, using the power of music and story has served up more than a few meaningful projects. But I’ll share the one that I know made a difference in many lives.

There is a non-profit organization called Where Angels Play, formed just after the horrific Sandy Hook school shooting. In response to the overwhelming grief of the parents and community, Where Angels Play built and dedicated a playground in memory of each lost child. When they approached me and my musician friend to write a song for their mission, we were both touched…and extremely challenged. How could we write anything that could console anyone in the face of this senseless tragedy? How could we even pretend to know what loved ones were going through? How could we avoid trite platitudes and be respectful of the heaviness of emotions? We had to find a way to weave joy and hope…and perhaps some meaning… into a song of ostensibly meaningless loss.

As it turns out, the power of music and a little divine inspiration prevailed. I guess we did start with a bit of a trite platitude after all.–“There are no words …” –but, frankly, there aren’t. The song is written from the perspective of the child, letting their loved ones know what they yearned to know–“I’m so much more than okay…not far away…where angels play.” We recorded the song, my friend and co-writer Maria Adubato singing it like an angel. Since then, it’s been played at funerals and events, and thousands have viewed and shared the moving video version. The outpouring of beautiful responses and gratitude we received was overwhelming. When just one would have been enough, I know that many hearts were profoundly touched by this project.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Music and laughter are what make me feel alive. But what was I to do with those loves in the “real world?” So I went the traditional route, pursuing a business career. My business colleagues knew that music and lyrics were my thing. How could they not when I wrote funny sing-along song parodies for them and sang all the time? Then, one day while listening to a kids’ radio station with my then 6-year-old nephew Michael, I declared that we could write a better song than the ones we were listening to. So we went home to the piano and wrote our song, with a catchy melody.

A friend heard that song and introduced me to a talented music producer, who brought the song to life with guitar, banjo, bass, and drums. I had a recording of my first song, and I was hooked! I took every songwriting class I could find in New York City. I hired a tough coach. I wrote and rewrote. I created a singing animated character to be my alias and made song videos. Moving on to adult songs, I co-wrote and entered contests, winning an ASCAP award and placing as a finalist in the International Songwriting Awards. Then, it was off to Nashville where I wrote with some of the best and learned even more. Finally, I was convinced that I might actually be good at this! Somewhere in the middle of all that, I retired from my business career.

What I loved most was creating humorous lyrics with wordplay, which led my heart back to children’s songs–and then children’s books–and the Biff Bam Booza brand. There are 5 books in the Biff Bam Booza collection right now, with a new book (a race car adventure in a world made of cheese) to be released shortly. We’ve received numerous book awards and editorial critical acclaim, and have been featured in Kirkus Review Magazine. Several books have reached Best Seller Status on Amazon. But the most rewarding part is connecting with readers–when they share their experiences laughing and bonding with their kids…. or the heartfelt moment when I “Zoomed” into Africa to read Chocolate Space Bunnies, and the kids there jubilantly sang along to one of my songs…or when people tell me that adults love Biff Bam Booza books as much as children. Biff Bam Booza is still in the process of growing up, but wow, what a joy it is to unleash this dream.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I never saw myself as a creative person. A major lesson I’ve learned is that I CAN create. One spark (that first song), and the crash course I got immersing myself in the songwriting environment, were what it took for me to learn that it is never too late for the creative bud to blossom.

A quote that I have framed in my kitchen says it all for me. “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom” Anaïs Nin.

My advice to anyone to wants to create–jump in all the way!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Let’s stop drawing the heavy line between the arts and sciences.

As someone coming from what society considers the “non-creative world,” I say to my colleagues–you are all more creative than you think. How creative is a computer program developer? A lawyer who uses storytelling skills to reach a jury? A scientist who formulates a new drug? I’ve seen amazing creativity in the business world. So why the big distinction between the “analytical” and “creative?” Why is one often considered more valuable than the other?

Almost every creative I’ve spoken to (including me) has had to overcome some version of what I call the “get a real job” story. While my colleagues were retiring with high-paying board and business consulting positions, I had to overcome the very real fear of putting myself “out there,” in a new way. Luckily, our world is changing. Barriers to entry into the creative world have been shattered–and more and more people are making a good living from their creative pursuits, and loving what they do..

Contact Info:

• Website: https://biffbambooza.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biffbambooza/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BiffBamBooza
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-daveiga-5636b292/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@biffbambooza