If you also want to apply for becoming a junior journalist, click here for details

Jaslyne (age 8)

Interview Q & A with Steve Songs

by Jaslyne,  Junior Journalist

Q- When did you start singing?

A- when I was in 3rd grade I started singing in a school chorus, (though I have some tape recordings of my mother and I singing nursery rhymes together when I was 2) but when I was in 7th grade I got my first solo. I was so nervous that I almost threw up, but as uncomfortable as that was, something about the experience of singing a song by myself for people who wanted to listen was exciting enough to keep me doing it.

Q- What is your hobby?

A- I love playing sports, and helping my kids with their hobbies. 

Q- Do you sing songs in other languages?

A- yes, I’ve written a few songs in Spanish and was actually able to perform them in Puerto Rico last year. 

Q- A lot of your fans are Asian kids,   do you plan singing a song in Chinese?

A-ooh that would be so cool. The only word I know in Chinese is “Ni Hao” (hello?) if you send me some lyrics/words and explain how to pronounce them we might be able to write a song in Chinese. 

Q- Were you inspired by any singers when you were a kid? If so, who?

A- I loved school house rock songs when I was a kid. And I really enjoyed watching a band called The Monkeys on TV. When I got a little older, James Taylor became my favorite. 

Q- What was your favorite song that you wrote?

A-   I can’t have a favorite song – otherwise all of my other songs would get jealous and it wouldn’t be good for their self confidence. I do get excited about playing some new songs. We have a new song called “Into the Magical” that we’ll be singing in LA and I really enjoy singing that one.

Q- If you were not a singer, what job would you like to do?

A- circus trapeze  

Q- What songs would you recommend to older kids? (ages 9-12)

A- Song without a Rhyme. Older kids tend to find it funny. 

Q- If someone said you were bad, would you keep singing? A- that’s a great question. I am very fortunate that when I started writing music, the people around me were very supportive, even though I admittedly wasn’t very good at writing songs when I started. Gosh, it’s hard to know what I would have done if people back then told me I was bad. I think I would always have written music for a hobby no matter what people said about the music, but it’s very possible that I wouldn’t have started to do it as a job if people had told me that I was bad. Thank goodness – because now I can’t imagine doing any other job. That would have been quite sad. If people were to tell me now that I’m bad (and believe me some people do – my you tube videos are open to comments), while it certainly wouldn’t make me feel good, I know that I am writing songs that say something that is important to me and that since I’ve been doing this job of writing and singing for so long I’m better at it than I’ve ever been before.  I’ll never be “the best”, but I always love trying to be “my best”.

Q- Who is SILLY, a puppet or a person? If he is a puppet, then who is his handler? 

A- Silly is a puppet. But don’t tell him (he doesn’t know that). I am his handler, and for some reason when HE sings very loudly it hurts MY voice. Silly will be coming with us on our trip to California next week. Make sure to remind me to introduce you.    

If you want to apply for becoming a junior journalist, click here for details