Through music we can share in the momentous joys and heartbreaks of life—when we don’t have the words, we have a song. Music can evoke a sense of community, defying language barriers, which we learn early on as babies respond and learn to tunes. Celebrating the way music unites us around the world, meet YouTube stars musicians and new parents, Casey and Sam. The L.A.-based singing and songwriting couple celebrate the “reasons people around the world raise their voices in song” in their new book and album, “Why Do We Sing?”
“Why Do We Sing,” is a beautifully textured song explaining the power of music. When did you first realize the power of a song?
Thank you! Both of us have been around music since we were little, and so I think we’ve both known from an early age how impactful a song can be. For so many people, some of our earliest memories involve music or singing (whether it’s a lullaby from a parent or guardian, or a favorite kids song requested over and over), which is why we wanted to create something for children that helps introduce them to all the reasons they might want to sing. Since becoming parents ourselves, watching our daughter Elaia discover music has given us a firsthand look at just how magical vocal music is for kids from the moment they’re born!
Tell us about your new project, “Why Do We sing?” Why was it important to you to feature various styles of music and language with this project?
“Why Do We Sing?” is our brand-new children’s book and album celebrating all of the reasons that people around the world raise their voices in song! The illustrations in the book showcase the beautiful and diverse vocal music traditions that can be found cross-culturally, and the text of the book focuses on the things we all share as singers (and human beings): the desire to express ourselves, connect with our communities, inspire change and celebrate our diverse cultures. The soundtrack album to the book allowed us to really dive in and explore some of those music traditions, with fun songs for kids inspired by Bollywood, Mariachi, K-pop, campfire songs and more! We both love singing in different languages- our song “Language of Lullabies” features over 60 different languages!
What are some of your musical influences?
Our musical influences are pretty diverse, which helped in tackling this ambitious album. Casey’s dad is a jazz pianist, and he grew up surrounded by Motown and soul music and went on to study and perform a lot of classical repertoire. I (Sam) grew up as a musical theater kid, who moved into the world of pop music as I became known online for reinterpreting top 40 hits. Together, we’ve got a popular series on TikTok in which we are singing “One Song From Every Country” which has given us a uniquely global perspective and allowed us to delve into international genres from Polka to Polynesian folk songs to South African Amapiano. We’ve drawn on all of these diverse influences for this album, and also gotten some excellent collaborators like Anthony Gonzalez and Vidya Vox!
What role has singing and music played in your parenting?
We are CONSTANTLY singing and playing music at home—there’s a dance party in the living room pretty much every night before bed! Music is such a beautiful way to connect with your kids. One of the most important messages we wanted to share with our book and album is that singing is for everybody and every kid (and parent!) has a song to share!
Tell us about your first concert.
The first concert I (Sam) can remember attending was actually a Broadway show, “The Lion King.” The fact that this has now become one of my daughter’s favorite soundtracks is such a full circle moment and also shows me just how formative our early interactions with music can be, which was of course a huge motivating factor behind creating this book and album!
What is your daughter’s favorite lullaby?
She switches up her requests pretty regularly, but right now “Moon River” and “Love on Top” are in the rotation! We’ve also got an original lullaby on the “Why Do We Sing?” soundtrack called “The Language of Lullabies” that she’s started asking for, too!
While on this parenting journey, what has surprised you the most? Any advice to soon-to-be dads?
Almost every element of parenting is a beautiful surprise! For Casey and me, the biggest change for us has been developing a real appreciation of schedule and routine. Prior to becoming dads, as artists and creatives our day-to-day could vary a lot, sometimes working late in the studio or writing music at odd hours. Now with Elaia (and especially tackling a project as big as a full illustrated children’s book and completely original 10-song album), we’ve gotten much better being intentional about how we use our time to make sure we can be both productive and highly engaged and present parents, which is of course where our heart truly lies! Our advice is to always lean into the joy with your kids – their capacity for wonder is so incredible to witness!
