There’s nothing like becoming a father to make a musician go from penning songs about relationships and suburban angst to writing and singing about pie, bumble bees and bellies. At least that’s the case for Brady Rymer of Southold, whose roots/rock band of 13 years, From Good Homes, used to open with the likes of Hootie and the Blowfish and Dave Matthews Band. But these days he tours with his newest group, The Little Band That Could, a collection of local musicians he met on the playground and at preschool pick-up. He now has five children’s music CDs, the latest of which, Here Comes Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could, was nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award Best Musical Album for Children.
Rymer, 44, says he didn’t know he was writing music for children when his oldest, Gus, was born 12 years ago. “I started writing words like home, baby, dad, and I was like, `what kind of music is this?’ I didn’t even know there was a genre of children’s music.”
But soon he was playing at local schools, daycare centers, parties and mommy-and-me classes. “Anywhere that would have me, actually,” he says. “It was fun; it was terrifying; and slowly I learned how to do it my way.”
His way is a toe-stomping fusion of rock, soul, old country, folk, funk and garage rock that has made him a popular performer with the under 10 set—and their moms and dads—and earned him numerous accolades, including recognition from the Parents’ Choice Foundation, the National Parenting Publications Association (NAPPA) and the Publisher’s Weekly Awards. (Not to mention that Grammy nod, though the award went to They Might Be Giants.)
But Rymer is also a family man, dedicated to his wife Bridget, and their children, Gus, and daughter Daisy, 10. The family, who seven years ago moved from Manhattan to a former speakeasy on the North Fork, is deeply connected to their community. Brady is just as likely to perform for the school district to draw voters on budget night as he is to tour in Baltimore, California or Cleveland in front of packed audiences. He also sits on the education advisory board of the Long Island Music Hall of Fame through which he hopes to be able to teach children the history of music on Long Island.
Meanwhile, the area influences his songs, he says, because of the natural beauty—and interesting sites. For instance, the song “Pie” on the current CD was inspired by a family outing to Briermere Farm in Riverhead.
Rymer says his music continues to evolve, but his goal is always to make sure the songs touch his audience. “I want the songs to be as good as they can be and to each be a little different,” he says. “I want them to be able to reach the whole family so that the dad enjoys them just as much as the toddler. The music is most satisfying when enjoyed as a family experience.”
That goes for his family as well, who turn concert tours into family vacations. And thanks to Gus and Daisy, Rymer has an unending supply of song lyrics. “My role as dad is separate from my work, but being a father means there are always so many new things to write about and discover.”
Learn more about Brady Rymer at www.bradyrymer.com. To listen to “Pie” and learn of upcoming local events, visit www.liparentonline.com.
Liza N. Burby is publisher and editor of Long Island Parent magazine. She enjoys listening to children’s music even when her daughters aren’t around.
