Seconds To None

Family music (what people of a certain age used to call children’s music) is a growing genre with no end in sight. The thing that makes the music family-friendly is that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages and isn’t as mind-numbing as some of that musical style of the past (I’m talking to you, Barney!), especially on repeat.

Highland Park native Ben Tatar is a major player in the scene—one that is especially popular in Chicago and the North Shore. Tatar, an alum of Highland Park High School (class of ‘96), has two family music albums to his name, including the new, aptly titled Seconds. We caught up with Tatar last year at the end of the school day (he’s a music teacher in Long Grove) to talk about his music and his memories of Highland Park.

The Chicago area has a long history of producing family music artists, from Ella Jenkins to Ralph Covert (of Ralph’s World). Are you finding a supportive community among other family music creators locally, as well as nationally?

That’s a great first question. I’ve always found that to be the case with this music genre. The environment and the community are so supportive. I definitely think that’s one of the strengths of that style, and especially in the Chicago area. If we’re talking about kids’ music, and giving them that friendly open invitation type of foundation, why not have a supportive atmosphere around it? I remember, before my first album came out, more or less making a cold call to Ralph, because he was a big reason for why I got into this genre of music in the first place. Seeing his band performing at Kidzapalooza at Lolla eight, nine years ago, something like that. He invited me over to his studio and I played him some of my music. He was so generous and supporting, giving of his time, giving me some feedback. It’s a good atmosphere to be a part of, for sure.

In addition to Covert, would you consider Jenkins to be a musical influence, and are there other family music performers that you look to as muses?

Absolutely! I grew up with Ella Jenkins’ music when I was in kindergarten … first and second grade. That was some of the first music I have a memory of being exposed to. I know, as a Wiggleworms instructor at the Old Town School of Folk Music, she’s celebrated there, constantly. I always keep her in mind, for sure, even if my music maybe doesn’t sound like hers, it came from what she’s done. I’m also fond of Justin Roberts. I don’t always travel in the same clown car as Justin, but I would pick his brain, ask for his advice or ask for his ear with something, and he would always be friendly and give me some time.

You are a music teacher in Long Grove. Did you have a music teacher when you were in grade school, middle school or high school that you would call an inspiration when it came to pursuing a music-oriented career?

I was blessed with some really great teachers in public school, great music teachers especially. At Elm Place School, I had Brayer Teague, who’s now an arts administrator in Downers Grove. He was my beginning band teacher, where I started playing trombone in fifth grade. Then I was passed on to Glenn Williams at Highland Park High School. I can’t really articulate the impact that those two teachers had on me as a person, helping me to discover talents, to discover that I have something to build off of, giving me the confidence, giving me some leadership opportunities to grow my skill set. Absolutely incredible teachers that I had.

Are your students aware that their music teacher is also a recording and performing artist?

They are! I would be pretty hard for me to conceal it, but yeah, they are. Last year, a little bit, and this year, too, I was going to make some of my songs parts of their lessons. On one hand, I think, my older grades, my fifth graders, would be really curious to see what happens when you take music and you put it online. What happens if you put it on a streaming service, and how you can tell who’s listening to it, where they are, and how old they are. Some of the metrics. I think they’d be really interested in that. Then the music itself can sometimes be used for lessons. There’s one that acts as a freeze-dance. There’s one which is a G Blues and there’s two open choruses where you, at home or at school or wherever you are, can grab an instrument and do a solo along with the band. I try to make it also interactive. I don’t know if I’m the type who just wants to stand in front of my students and talk about me and my band. I’d rather have it with more of a purpose other than just talking about myself. They’re eager to hear it. I’m not always as eager to play it, but I definitely have made it a part of the class, and they’re well aware.

You’re a father of two. Are either or both of your children old enough to play an instrument, and if so, do they play, and what instruments?

Little Everleigh is 2. She’ll probably be the lead singer. She already sings a lot. She hasn’t been up on stage yet, but she definitely has a good musical mindset. As she’s singing her songs that we sing at night together, the ABC’s and “Baa Baa Black sheep,” I guess she’s used to me commending her singing in the middle. So, as she’s singing, sometimes she will sing my comments to her as well like it’s part of the song. “Next time won’t you sing with me … good singing.” She’s got it embedded, she’s on her way. Cameron is 6, a first grader. Since he was 2, he’s had a remarkable, steady beat. He’s able to match pitch beautifully. I’m not at the point yet where I want to throw an instrument in his lap and tell him the right and wrong way to play. I’m sort of happy with him enjoying the wonder of music. At some point, when he’s ready to take up an instrument, his talent that is waiting there for him to unfold.

With your cleverly named band, the Tatar Tots, you have just released your second album, the food-themed record Seconds. What can you tell the readers about your songwriting process?

I guess the reason that it became about food, for one thing, is at least in the classroom I teach first through fifth-grade general music. I felt like a lot of times if I was talking about basic rhythms, whenever I would go through them, I would always just sing or clap through examples that used food. “Taco cheese/taco cheese.” It was always something funny that would stick with the kids and then just led easily to writing a song about food. For me, the challenge has been to make these food songs sound different. If someone has a song about pizza, a song about cotton candy, a song about a buffet, you wonder how different can all these songs be. It’s not just about praising the food but taking the idea and moving it a step further. For example, the song “Back To The Buffet” is not just simply about a buffet, but it tells the story of somebody who goes to a buffet and, for whatever reason, they’re not able to enjoy the buffet.

They can’t find a place to sit.

Yes! I take a more literary angle to songwriting. I like some of the songs to serve as stories. Some of the songs act as movement exercises. I like to think of how I can incorporate movement. For kids’ music, it’s good to have songs based on movement and energy, to be interactive.

The album opens with “Jambalaya,” a song that shares its name with the similarly titled Hank Williams classic “Jambalaya (On the Bayou).”

For sure, oh, yeah!

Were you at all concerned about that?

I really wasn’t. I wasn’t too sure how many listeners might be familiar with that song. I love Hank Williams, but when I started writing it, I had no connection to that song at all. “Jambalaya” was actually the start of the album. I took a trip maybe about four or five years ago to New Orleans for a jazz conference. I was there with this group The LowDown Brass Band, who perform on that song. We were soaking up the New Orleans spirits and we went out for great food. That’s how that song was born. I’m glad that some people can make the Hank connection, but other than that, I think it stands pretty well on its own.

It does! You ask the musical question “Can You Write a Song About Broccoli?” and then answer it with the song of the same. Was it as easy and effortless to do as you make it sound?

Was it easy and effortless to write that song? If I’m remembering correctly that song maybe took a little bit longer to write than the other ones. I don’t know if I ever look at them as being difficult to write, but I try to embrace some of the patience involved in writing. That tends to be one of the more spacious songs on the album. There’s a point where there’s a solo. Instead of talking over the solo, I let the music do the talking. That one’s maybe a little bit of a different animal on the album. I think that was also in response to a lot of people who would come up and say, “Do you have a song about cupcakes? Do you have a song about bacon? Do you have a song about broccoli?” I picked one of those and decided to have a little fun with it.

Would you mind saying something about your experience of growing up in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood of Highland Park?

My parents still live there. My sister lives there. I’m grateful every day for the musical upbringing especially that I had there. I was fortunate to have two well-organized teachers who knew what they were doing, knew how to sequence information, and help grow kids’ interests and abilities in music. I have always appreciated that it’s a creative community outside of school. Walking through downtown or uptown Highland Park, drawing in from the energy of the buildings and the people and decorating and the way that the town shows up for events. Ravinia bringing in tons of great artistry and now for a longer season, which is awesome. I think there are a lot of lot of muses in that town that I probably didn’t recognize growing up as much as I can appreciate now.

You and your family currently live in Northbrook which is still in the same general vicinity. Are there Highland Park spots that you return to on a regular basis that you’d like to share with the readers?

Of course, my parents’ house. I still go there plenty. We didn’t get to Ravinia (last time) but we always like to try to get there. I did a show (last year) in Jens Jensen Park which is in the Ravinia area, near the train station. A friend of mine, Noah Plotkin, has set up this incredible festival schedule there, I think starting in May or June. Every Thursday there’s a whole fleet of food trucks that come out there. They have two different bands that perform. A ton of people and a bunch of other stands and great atmosphere there, lots of energy. I’ve played there a couple of summers now. I love the Chicago Botanic Gardens. I’ve had the honor to work there and it’s also fun to just go there and enjoy that area. I love going to Rosewood Beach, especially as a Northbrook resident where we don’t have a beach. I have a much greater appreciation for my parents being Highland Park/Lake County taxpayers.

For more information about Ben Tatar, visit bentatarmusic.com.