Dennis Berner's
family band stopped serenading the city's preschoolers when two
of his children headed off to college. But now they're back, and
so are the toddling tunes of Dennis and Company.
When New Orleans
accountant Dennis Berner ponders the most meaningful gifts ever
bestowed on him, he is not very likely to list neckties, cuff links
or power tools. For that matter, he is not likely to include anything
of a material nature.
Easily topping the list is the devotion of
his family, particularly his two eldest children Emily and Kyle.
Who have spent the last year helping their father rejuvenate the
musical side of his life.
Best known as the lead singer of the group
Dennis and Company, Berner, 52, put all things musical-including
his dream of a fourth album- on hold several years ago to help
put his children through college.
But when they graduated -- Kyle,
23, from Loyola University and Emily, 24, from the University of
Southern Mississippi -- they didn't have to think too hard about
how they wanted to use their education.
Determined to repay their
father, they decided to take what they learned and form a bona
fide music business, complete with marketing and sales campaigns,
press kits, counter-top displays and an Internet site. As part
of the business, they would help their dad produce his fourth album
and schedule as many performances as possible to show off his talents
to a new generation of tots.
"We have decided to put our whole
hearts into making this work," said Kyle, who still performs
with his father along with Emily and 12-year-old sister Julia. "We
know we have what it takes, and we really want our dad to be able
to do what he really loves to do -- play music for kids."
The
culmination of their efforts is "Dancin' & Dreamin'
with Dennis," a compilation of 18 songs that can either lull
children to sleep or get them up and moving, depending on their
mood and the time of day. The songs, most of which were written
by Berner, include upbeat tunes titled "Shake A Leg" and " New
Orleans and Me" and more soothing songs such as "Kissing
Good Night" and "I Am Beside You."
Dressed in their
signature denim overalls and joined by a furry character they've
dubbed Bernie the Bear, the Berners introduced the album last month
at the Louisiana Children's Museum and have been on the circuit
of festivals and holiday events ever since.
Berner says he is happiest
when he is with his family -- second happiest when he is entertaining
children -- so the fact that he has been able to combine the two
has been the fulfillment of a dream.
"We just can't believe
this is happening," said a jovial
Berner at his Lake Terrace home, which he shares with all three
children and his wife Connie, a preschool teacher at the Academy
of the Sacred Heart. "It's knowing that we are spending time
together, sharing in something that we can do to bring joy to children
and young families."
As far back as he can remember, Dennis
has had a passion for music. He has played guitar since he was
12 and performed in several bands, including Ivy, which in the
1970s was one of the most popular bands on the local music scene. "That's
how I saved money to get married," he said, laughing.
Once
married, he began concentrating on paying the bills, which meant
putting music aside and focusing on his career as a certified public
accountant. He missed performing but never lost hope that he might
one day launch at least a part-time musical career.
Never did he
imagine that that career would take the form of children's entertainment
and that his audience would consist largely of the tricycle set.
But when he happened upon the internationally celebrated children's
singer Raffi in the mid-1980s, it hit him that New Orleans could
use a "Raffi" of its own.
"That was really the beginning," Dennis
said. "So
I wrote a few songs, put them on tape and let my wife play them
for her students at Sacred Heart. The kids really liked it, and
I thought, 'Maybe we're on to something.' "
In time, that "something" turned
into a full-fledged musical act, with Emily, then 8, and Kyle,
then 7, providing background vocals and even assisting with song
writing. Using her background in early childhood education, Connie
made sure the music was not only age-appropriate, but fun and amusing.
"Normally,
I would come up with the melodies and as a family we'd come up
with the lyrics," Dennis said. "I remember
when we wrote the song 'Bear Hunt.' We were all in the car and
we just started making up lyrics about trying to find a bear in
the woods."
That song, along with "Happy Day" and " Silly
Willie School ," are among the tunes on Dennis' first album, "Music
For Children By Dennis." He went on to produce two more albums, "Dennis
Sings Again" (which won a Parenting Choice Award) and "Christmas
With Dennis" before taking a break to see Emily and then Kyle
off to college.
Emily majored in public relations and minored in
voice, while Kyle majored in marketing. As part of a project, Kyle
had to develop a business marketing plan, which he based on what
he knew -- children's music.
"When you're little, you don't
think of music as a business," said
Kyle, who with Emily also spent summers working at Disney World. "Once
I was in college, I thought, 'This really has some possibilities.
Let's give it a shot.' So I came up with lots of different strategies
and added a character to the live show."
"It's almost
as if all of their experience and education was preparing them
for what they're doing now," Dennis said. "They
can now use some of what they've learned about business to help
Connie and I reach many more children with our music. This has
added a whole new dimension to our experience, and they're having
a blast doing it."
Emily handles public relations and sales
and has the newest CD in 25 stores. Kyle is in charge of marketing,
which includes Web site management, media planning, advertising
and promotion and live performance bookings.
Dennis oversees accounting
and finances, while Connie works the sound system. The Berner's
youngest daughter Julia -- who was just a year old when the third
album was produced -- also sings with the band, as does her cousin
Katharine Harris.
"We want our music to be educational, but
it can't be all educational because that would be boring," Dennis
said. "We
also want it to be singable and somewhat silly. Connie is my coach.
I wouldn't make any decisions on songs without her approval."
Dennis
says he has also learned from experience the importance of performing
songs that encourage children to get up and dance. "You
want kids to be involved, otherwise you'll lose them," he
said. "They'll simply go to whatever else is available that
makes them happy.
"I always consider it a challenge to keep
them glued for the duration of our performance. I think we've got
it figured out now, but I still can't make any promises." |
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