Laurie Berkner became a professional musician in 1992 but found her true calling in 1997 with the release of her first collection of self-penned children's songs, Whaddaya Think of That? Since then,
Berkner has stood at the fore of the "kindie rock" scene (a genre that caters to both parents and kids) that she helped create alongside contemporaries like
Dan Zanes and
They Might Be Giants. In addition to releasing award-winning albums like Under a Shady Tree (2002),
Rocketship Run (2008), and
Let's Go (2021),
Berkner has issued several videos and authored multiple children's books.
Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
Laurie Berkner didn't intend on becoming a highly successful children's performer. The New Jersey native spent her formative years immersed in music, participating in everything from choir to orchestra to musical theater. After finishing college,
Berkner spent time as a music counselor at summer camps, and it was there that she developed the skills that would eventually turn into a career. After a couple of stints in bands, she became a children's music specialist at various New York area preschool and daycare centers, and in 1997 she released her debut album, Whaddaya Think of That? After the release of
Buzz Buzz the following year,
Berkner started her own label, Two Tomatoes Records. By the time Victor Vito arrived in late 1999,
Berkner and her guitar-led singalongs had become a fixture in the genre, garnering many awards and receiving accolades from magazines like People and U.S. News & World Report and praise from children and parents alike.
The Laurie Berkner Band has put out numerous albums, videos, and books, including We Are... The Laurie Berkner Band (2006),
Rocketship Run (2008),
Laurie Berkner Christmas (2012), Lullabies (2014),
Superhero (2016),
Waiting for the Elevator (2019), and
Let's Go (2021).
Berkner and her co-conspirators have even appeared on the popular daytime talk show The View. ~ James Christopher Monger