A Big Clap for Hap
Children’s Musician Connects With Tots
by Jill Weinlein

If your children were born after 1987, you may be familiar with songwriter, musician, teacher and music and movement consultant for young children, Hap Palmer. He has written and recorded over 300 songs. His recordings and videos have received numerous honors including the Parents’ Choice Awards, the American Library Associations’ and the American Video Awards.

I discovered Hap Palmer’s through his Baby Songs video. My daughter Elizabeth especially liked the song, “My Momma Comes Back.” It helped my daughter overcome separation anxiety. When I left her with someone for a few hours, I sang this song to her, emphasizing the line “She always will come get me.” It never failed. Her fears calmed and she was ready to play.

To my pleasant surprise, our music docent in Elizabeth’s kindergarten class was Hap Palmer. His daughter attended our public school. Every other Thursday, Hap shared an hour of his time and talent with each class. Guess which day I volunteered to work in my daughter’s class?

It was such a treat to see 5- and 6-year-olds learn to say “Hello” in 10 languages (Can a Jumbo Jet Sing the Alphabet). They formed small groups and moved to the Rollercoaster song (Rhythms on Parade) without letting go of their partners. The children learned phonics from One Little Sound (coming out in January 2002) and danced to the jazz tune, “Bop ‘Til We Drop,” while learning motions that end in “op.”

Hap and I sat down recently, in the teacher’s lounge at Wilbur Elementary. This is what I learned about this kind, down-to-earth, and incredibly talented man.

Family Magazine: How old were you when you became interested in music?

Hap Palmer: I was 8-years-old when I received a drum set. The noise was too much for my mother, so she bought me a clarinet.

FM: Why a clarinet?

HP: My mother loved Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. The clarinet was more popular then than it is today. Later, I played the saxophone. It was simple to learn, because it is another reed instrument. I liked the sound from the sax and continued playing in bands for junior high and high school dances.

I loved playing music. Once, while taking an important junior high test, I heard my buddies rehearsing for a dance. I scribbled and wrote down anything, so I could turn in my test and join in with my saxophone.

FM: When did you start playing the guitar?

HP: While at Chapman College in Orange, California, my sister returned from Mexico with a guitar. It was love at first sight and sound. I bought my first guitar for five dollars. The bridge was broken, so I drilled some holes into the old guitar and bolted a new bridge on it. With a clarinet and saxophone, you play only one note at a time. With a guitar, you can hear and sing all the notes that make up chords. I taught myself to play the guitar. Today, it is the instrument I use to compose all my songs.

FM: How did you get started with children’s music?

HP: I was teaching at a school in East Los Angeles. My class was all special education children. These kids had difficulty sitting in their chairs. So, I began singing educational songs that might get them up and moving. Their response was positive. One day, Della Blakeway, our school principal, walked into my classroom with a representative from the Educational Activities Record Company. He liked what he saw and soon I made my first record with them.

FM: At what age is a child ready for formal music lessons?

HP: 8 or 9 is a good time. Before this, I would expose my child to all types of music, dance and the arts. Parents should allow their children to explore music and instruments freely. This will enable them to follow their passion. If a child is highly motivated, and begging for formal lessons at 5 or 6, have them start and stay with the lessons for at least one month. Be certain the lessons are fun and allow the child to explore and learn in a playful manner.

We are born with all the brain nerve cells we will ever have. In the early years, our brains produce countless connections (synapses) between the nerve cells (neurons), these connections are reinforced through activity and experience. The neurons are hungry for stimulation. If we don’t use these connections, they may wither and die.

Studies show, when musical elements are introduced at an early age with rhymes, rhythms and repetition, children are sensitized to the sound of language. This is important when learning to read.

FM: Your songs are wonderful for parents to introduce to their young ones. Do you have other favorites?

HP: “Wheels on the Bus,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “Head Shoulder Knees and Toes,” “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” “Open Shut Them,” “The Hokey Pokey,” and “Ring around the Rosy” all are songs that introduce elements of movement and music.

For more information about Hap Palmer and his music, go to www.happalmer.com.

Jill Weinlein is a freelance writer specializing in food, travel and family issues.
Summer 2003