We were lucky to catch up with Kara Kaufmann recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
I am a mom to four boys and at some point in their childhood each of them has been absolutely obsessed with dinosaurs. One afternoon, they were asking Alexa to play dinosaur songs and kept asking for specific dinosaurs. They couldn’t quite find what they were looking for so I decided, as their mom and as a musician, that I would write the songs for them! What started as little ditties about dinosaurs soon became songs filled with facts, woven with tales of perseverance, growth and childhood wonder.
When I sat down to write these songs, I knew that I wanted to make them songs that the whole family would enjoy. So while the lyrics are a topic that kids can relate to, the melodies and arrangements are written with parents and caregivers in mind. This way, they are more than happy to listen to their children’s favourite song on repeat!
I love listening to music with my kids. And we listen to a lot of songs that they pick out (they get cracking up over all of the poop songs Alexa finds for them!) and we also listen to a lot of music that I pick out. It’s something we connect over. We love to use music to get our wiggles out, we love to have dance parties in the kitchen together, we love to listen to soothing music to set the tone at bedtime, and there’s always music on when we’re in the car.
My boys write my dinosaur songs with me. They come to me with dinosaur ideas — which dinosaurs they would love to hear about. They tell me as many facts as they can and then I do a deep-dive to learn as much as I can about the latest research on that dinosaur. I then come up with a character and a story for each dinosaur. While I’m writing the song and when I’ve finished writing the songs, I always run them by my kids. They are always dropping in to listen anyway but we’ll also have listening parties so that I can see what they think and they’ll give me feedback. Kids are always dependable for honest feedback!
I know there is a market for family music. There is a lot of music out there for kids and there is a lot of music out there for adults but we need more and more music that families can put on and enjoy listening to together. And, why dinosaurs? Because my boys were so obsessed, it was the obvious first subject to write about! And I know that so, so many other kids are equally fascinated by them. When I play live, kids love to come up and share what they know about each dinosaur and they are always SO good at pronouncing all of the dinosaur names. (I get corrected all of the time. ☺️)
Dinosaurs are also cool because it’s neat to think about the science of finding something that existed so many years ago. It’s amazing that scientists can come up with pretty solid theories. What I talk about in my songs too though is how the science is ever-evolving. Scientists discover new things and question decisions that have already been made. I love for kids to open their minds to the possibility that the world around them is a place to constantly explore. There is always so much more to know.
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?
I am a children’s musician who writes songs all about dinosaurs! I call my music family music because it’s written with caregivers in mind just as much as it is written for children. Kids love the lyrics all about dinosaurs and parents enjoy the melodies and the arrangements that they can listen to on repeat. I have five EPs out now, including one with Christmas dinosaur songs!
I started in music at a young age. I took piano lessons from age 8 until about age 13 but was surrounded by music all of the time. My uncle was an incredible piano player as is my mom. I loved, loved listening to them play when I was a kid. And my dad has always had really cool taste in music and we were exposed to a variety of genres as kids.
I always wrote poetry growing up and then started putting words to music in my late teens. Some of those early songs were recorded on an EP that even I can’t find a copy of, and I then later went on to record my first full-length album in 2011. Over the years, I have played many shows throughout Southwestern Ontario, Michigan and Ohio.
When I started having kids, I thought for sure I would keep playing and recording but it actually all pretty quickly came to a full stop! I focused on motherhood for quite some time before picking music back up and the transition to children’s music felt so natural. It was on my mind for years that I would work on some type of children’s music. Lullabies felt the most appealing to write (hence “Dino Lullabies,” my first dinosaur EP) and while I didn’t initially envision dinosaur songs when I first started thinking about writing kids music, it turned out to be a perfect fit for my crew!
I love when parents tell me that they enjoy listening to my songs just as much as their kids do — it’s exactly what I was going for! Don’t get me wrong — I love to have a laugh with my kids and sing along with their short and snappy tunes — but I also have a threshold for how many times I can hear those songs on repeat! Ha ha! My goal with my music is to write songs that have melodies and arrangements that caregivers will find enjoyable to listen to as well. It’s good to have some solid, easy-on-the-ears family music for long road trips, for afternoons relaxing at the house, for bedtime. All summer long when we would be out by the pool I would put on my “Dino Friends Swim” EP and it was fun for the kids to listen to (one of my boys’ favourite songs of mine is called “Mosasaurus”) and it was fun for all of the adults because it’s music that’s relaxing to listen to.
What I’m most proud of is that I’m doing it! It can be hard to find time for music between work and taking care of my family. But it’s such a core part of who I am, and I’m glad I’m carving out time for it again. And I’ve recorded five EPs in two years! I remind myself how much work that took and I’m grateful for how far I’ve come. And I love, love playing shows for kids. I play at summer festivals, libraries, daycares, story times, and elementary schools — kids are such a wonderful audience. They’re so engaged and they love to have FUN with it all. Which is exactly what this is all about.
I also recently started writing custom songs for families. The custom family songs have been an absolute joy to work on. Families are entrusting me with their beautiful family stories and I love to weave them into unique songs that they can listen to together and cherish forever. Songs I have written include one requested by a mother for her two children after they experienced some big life changes together, and a song from a grandmother to her first grandchild about their beautiful days spent together. I get so into writing these and each one holds a place in my heart for sure.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I think of resilience in terms of this journey, I think of all the times that I have been really tired and pretty stressed out, but knowing that if I just sit down at the piano, everything will feel better. And not because all of the exhaustion and the stress will magically go away, but because I know I’m working toward something that I love so much. It helps that it’s something my kids are involved with, so I can spend time with them, and work and create at the same time.
As any parent knows, the day-to-day can absolutely fly by. When you’re in the thick of it all, it’s hard to look up and see anything else. But I knew I had this idea and I knew I wanted to do it and I knew I was just going to have to go for it — there was never going to be a perfect time. I’ll often book recording time with my producer/engineer Luc Michaud and it’s the way that I create a sort of deadline for myself. Once I’ve booked the time, I don’t give myself any other option but to write the songs. And it’s such a relief when I grant myself the time to sit at the piano and create and sing. I am often writing the songs the night before heading into the studio but it always works out. Even when I think, “Agh, I don’t know if I’ve got this,” I just remind myself to stick it out. To keep playing around with the keys, to keep playing around with the words — it will come together.
I have worked a long time at building resilience so nowadays when things come my way that I’m not expecting, or something doesn’t go how I was really hoping it would, or I’m standing there juggling too many things at once, I just take a few deep breaths, focus in, and do the best I can. It is actually a mantra my kids hear me say every day, “I’m doing the best I can!”
I often think about resilience these days. I wrote a song about an “Allosaurus” on my “Dino Ditties” EP and that song was just as much about me as it is about that dinosaur. The chorus goes, “It doesn’t always feel easy to be me / Sometimes my days feel so hard and rough / But I’m tough, I’m tough, I am tough / I’m tough, I’m tough, I am tough.” It makes me think of all the days when I think, “How am I going to make this work,” but you just do, you know? And it’s rarely perfect, and I rarely get done the things I think I’ll get done or what I set out to do, but I persist nevertheless. The song’s bridge then goes on to say, “I bet I could have used some rest / I sure got hurt a lot / A little patching up here and there / Before I kept moving on.” And that bridge is so important because it’s this reminder that we can be tough and we can be resilient and some days do call for that in full force but then we also need self-care, we need to find moments of respite in the hard work and in the chaos. We need to nurture ourselves and prioritize our well-being. And we don’t want to keep looking back and saying that we should have found more time for rest — we need to care for ourselves in the present. Don’t push yourself so hard you forget to take care of yourself too.
I’m also thankful that I have good people in my circle. People who will lift me up, send me encouragement that I’m on the right track, and talk through the struggles with me. I thrive with collaboration, guidance, and with the support of those who love me the most.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist has been that I get to do what I love and share it with other people. Music is powerful. Almost every part of our brain is activated when we listen to music — it’s this complex, full-brain experience, and it’s incredible. Music is so deeply rooted in our emotions and can evoke a wide range of feelings. And we can connect so easily with others through music, which I find so beautiful. I love to be a part of that. I love that I am creating something for my family that I then get to share with others.
Have you read the book, “Big Magic?” It’s a spectacular read that encourages people to embrace their creativity. I love the theory in the book that there are ideas floating around us at all times, looking for a human to take them on and bring them to life. It’s how I feel about lyrics that come to mind, or ideas for a song, or ideas for an album, or some cool project I want to have branch off from my music. And I don’t worry so much anymore if I don’t have time for that particular idea or if I don’t get a chance to write it down in time. More will come. Someone else will take on that idea that floated past me and they’ll give it life and I’ll just try to catch the next one. Creativity is a wonderful space to be a part of.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://karakaufmann.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karakaufmannmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karakaufmannmusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KaraKaufmann
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/karakmusic
- Other: Bandcamp: https://karakaufmann.bandcamp.com
Image Credits
Ruthless Images
Whiskeyjack Photography
Joie de Vivre Life Photography