Writing meaningful music for children is not easy. Just ask the composers/performers featured in Happy and You Know It, the latest documentary from Penny Lane (Listening to Kenny G), which come out Christmas Day on HBO. It’s a worthy profession, however, no matter the challenges, for there’s nothing better than inspiring children to sing, dance, and be merry.
The principal subjects here are Caspar Babypants, Laurie Berkner, Johnny Only, Divinity Roxx, and The Wiggles (particularly founder Anthony Field, aka Anthony Wiggle). Rock critic Rob Harvilla and culture critic Willa Paskin are among those providing additional context, helping to make sense of the industry. It can be quite lucrative (just ask The Wiggles, whose global popularity has earned them millions); it can also earn the musicians just enough to get by. We see the full range.
Musically, perhaps my favorite of the bunch is Caspar Babypants, whose real name is Chris Ballew and who is known to adults as the vocalist and bassist of the 1990s indie rock group The Presidents of the United States of America. He no longer performs in either capacity but has a wealth of great songs to stand as his legacy. Always infusing his lyrics and tunes with great humor, Ballew is a true artist, no matter the medium.
Divinity Roxx is the one musician of color in the film, and her story highlights the barriers to success that she has faced in a mostly white space. Among other previous gigs, she played bass for one of Beyoncé’s tours. She mixes it up, bringing rap into the mix, and builds a well-deserved audience.
Laurie Berkner comes to this, as does Johnny Only, from a background in education. As a pre-school teacher, she struggled to connect with the kids in her charge until she asked them what they wanted to sing about. “Dinosaurs,” was the enthusiastic answer. And so was born her hit single “We Are the Dinosaurs.” It’s really all about listening and responding to what kids like.
Johnny Only is the smallest-scale of the folks profiled, keeping his performances to a petting farm in upstate New York. Like the others, he loves what he does but faced heartbreak when his arrangement of the traditional camp song “Baby Shark” was appropriated by the South Korean company PinkFong (becoming a worldwide phenomenon in 2016). Though a lawsuit is still pending, the experience makes him say, “I’m done with children’s music.” Plot spoiler: not quite.
It’s a really fun documentary, with the interviews sparkling with life and self-deprecating jokes. Among the questions considered are the how and why of what makes a hit song for kids (repetition is key, as per the titular earworm, and call and response). The “Baby Shark” legal plot line doesn’t quite fit into the rest, but it’s still interesting information. So sit yourself down, watch the film, and sing along. Before long, you’ll definitely be happy and you will definitely know it. A special bonus is seeing everyone’s childhood photos (including the director’s) during the end credits.
Christopher Llewellyn Reed
Chris Reed is the editor of Film Festival Today. A member of both the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) and the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, Chris is, in addition, lead film critic at Hammer to Nail and the author of Film Editing: Theory and Practice.