Our KNX Hero of the Week, Kevin Schatz, is using joyful music to brighten the lives of young people!
Kevin SchatzCourtesy of Kevin Schatz
Courtesy of Kevin Schatz
Courtesy of Kevin Schatz
You may know him as a radio host on our sister station “K-EARTH 101” - but to young kids all over SoCal, Schatz is merely a musician that’s full of fun and creativity!
“I write and perform songs for kids,” he told Heroes host Heather Jordan. “I perform all original songs with the goal of just providing joy and music connection, music, just kids being able to experience live music, sometimes for the first time.”
His concerts are easily accessible as his stage is often a local library or bookstore.
Courtesy of Kevin Schatz
“There's a bookstore here on the west side called Children's Book World, a great independent bookstore that I play at regularly, and all the shows that I play there and anywhere are free,” he said. “So these are all shows that anyone can attend without having to pay an entry fee, and that part of it is really important to me because, again, it makes it more accessible. I don't think there should be a barrier to entry for kids to experience live music.”
Kevin says playing music for an audience so young was something he fell into.
“I've always loved doing music. I've always loved playing guitar and writing songs,” he said. “I didn't envision performing for kids until maybe five, six years ago when it was pointed out to me that a lot of my songs – this was meant as a compliment - but a lot of my songs were kind of simple and easy to digest and almost like kids' poetry. So it was suggested to me to try to write some kids' songs, and I apparently succeeded at that. I really enjoyed the process and put out an album of all kids' songs and said, ‘Let's put this out in the world and do it live and perform places.’ So I'm I'm really glad that it found its way to me.”
Courtesy of Kevin Schatz
Some of the song titles for Kevin's super kid-friendly songs include “Fruits and Veggies,” “Pizza Party,” and “The Dentist Is Your Friend.”
Listen to our full interview with Schatz in the audio above.
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