Jun 28, 2008

Ralph's World: It's party time, it's excellent

By Paul Freeman / Entertainment Writer

Who would have thought a Bad Example would end up being a perfect musical role model for kids?

With his rock band the Bad Examples, Chicago-based Ralph Covert achieved a measure of success. Creating children's music under the moniker Ralph's World, he's become a phenomenon.

Gathering longtime musical buddies around him, Covert has assembled another exceptionally winning children's album, "Rhyming Circus."

"Pushing ideas around with those guys, it's such a fun process," Covert said. "It's like kids in a playground every time we do it."

Covert goes into the studio armed with batches of his original, witty, whimsical, charming songs. "I try to see how far I can push the songwriting, painting on the canvas of the imagination. It's a blast," he said.

"Kids songwriting is the same as regular songwriting. But, if anything, you have a broader canvas to work with. It's still about telling good stories, finding interesting characters and including vivid details."

The new album, Ralph's World's eighth, contains such rocking romps as "Polka Dot Shirt" and "Gotta Be Good." Covert takes a country path on the amusing "Folsom Daycare Blues," based on the Johnny Cash classic. Folk and blues flavors also spice up various tunes.

Parents enjoy the songs, too. "When I write or record a song," Covert says, "I'm never trying to write a 'kids' song. I'm never trying to dumb it down. I'm always trying to smarten it up. Kids and parents all like the Beatles. Why? Because they're dumbing it down? No. It's because they did it so well that it crosses that boundary and embraces both."

On CD and onstage, Covert welcomes his fans into a unique and colorful world. "My goal is to take the listener on an adventure, a journey to a cool place. When you're doing a concert, it's about sweeping them into the magic of that experience."

Covert is a master at orchestrating kids' enthusiasm, building excitement, but keeping them under control. "You're guiding them to that fun place they want to go to," he said. "It's like herding cats."

Ralph's World will herd fans into San Francisco's Bimbo's 365 Club on Sunday. Of his live shows, Covert says, "They're definitely full-on rock concerts for the kids ... and parents, too. We're not trying to water down what we do. There'll be songs for singing along, songs for dancing, some songs that are kind of sly nods to the moms and dads. It's very participatory, very active. ... And as loud and rockin' as we can make it."

Covert's interest in children's music started after the birth of his daughter Fiona. Chicago's famed Old Town School of Folk Music, where he was already teaching songwriting, invited him to conduct a weekly "Wiggle Worms" class for tots. Because he could bring Fiona along, he agreed.

"I quickly realized it was a great chance to hang with her and hang with other parents and kids. It was nice to share the parenting experience with other folks," he said. "I enjoyed being silly with all these people."

Covert's happy accident has grown into a successful career, but "At its heart," he says, "it retains 100 percent of that innocent fun of hanging out with other parents and their kids. I'm fortunate that people like the music and I can share it with them."

Covert started making up kids songs to play in those classes. "It was a great laboratory. If I played a new song, I'd know in about eight seconds whether they liked it or not. It helped me fine-tune the process."

The son of Jim Powers - head of Chicago indie label Minty Fresh Records - was in Covert's class. One day Powers' wife had the flu and brought the tyke to school.

"Jim was like, 'Wow, I didn't know you were doing this.' I'd known him from the local rock scene. He asked me if I'd like to do a kids record. I said, 'I don't want to just do a kids record. But I will do a great record that kids like. We've got to approach it like we're trying to make the next great rock 'n' roll record.' He was open to that philosophy and very supportive of it."

Covert did six albums with that label, then was signed by Disney, who allowed him to grow to the next level. Disney gave him complete creative control. They followed his suggestion of using top rock video director Adam Neustadter to make the latest Ralph's World videos.

In addition to making grown-up and kids rock, Covert has proven himself a powerhouse with prose.

Last year, his nonfiction work for young readers, "Sawdust and Spangles: The Fantastic Life of W.C. Coup," was published. It's about the father of the traveling, multiring circus. Covert has won awards as a playwright. He's currently working on a new children's musical version of "Hansel and Gretel."

But nothing can top the thrill Covert gets from making music for receptive audiences. "The ultimate reward is that it matters enough to people that they make it a part of the fabric of their lives. They listen to it, share it, sing along with it, on a day-to-day level, as part of the soundtrack of who they are. I've always felt that's the highest goal that music can aspire to."