Taking a quick break during a rather hectic touring schedule, Lah-Lah (aka Tina Harris) is amazingly energetic despite just having knocked off almost 50 shows this year already as part of their ‘Sing It Loud!” Tour. On the eve of their Adelaide shows, Harris spoke with us at Glam about the show, the band, and working with children.
The first question I ask is ‘where does she and the band get the energy from to perform such a rigorous schedule?’ “Caffeine!” Harris promptly replies.” The joke is that we travel with our own coffee maker and take it on the road with us. My daughter, who is on this last leg of the tour with us, has become the official Barista for the group and knows how everyone takes their coffee,” quips Harris with that cheerful exuberance that comes with entertaining kids.
The members of Lah-Lah’s Big Live Band have a strong music pedigree, and Harris herself had not only sung with Opera Australia prior to creating one of the highest rating ABC TV shows (Lah-Lah’s Adventures) but also has strong qualifications and credentials in music and teaching. The other band members are also highly trained musicians who regularly work and tour the country on a professional basis. They’re really some of the finest musicians in Australia and can hold their own.
So how did the idea for Lah-Lah come about? “After Mark and I got married & had our 2 girls, we discovered that life on the road didn’t work for us, so a friend suggested that I teach early childhood music to kids. I retrained and opened a class, which turned out being a school, and Mark would come in with his double bass and perform. The parents suggested that we get a show together, so we got friends together and that’s how it essentially all started. It was really organic. I really feel that we were meant to do this,” quips Harris philosophically.
Having seen the TV series as most parents of young kids will have done, Lah-Lah’s Adventures is a colourful, vibrant experience that has energy in abundance and uses music as their key tool for education. It’s clever, well scripted, and the live shows have been selling out in record time! “This show runs for 50 minutes and features all the members from the Big Live band, and will have some of the songs from the TV Series, some new ones from the album, but one of the things we love to do is weave in early childhood learning bits and pieces in the show without it being too obvious. For example, we have a song called Sing It Loud, where we teach the kids to sing in their big and small voices. The kids also get to experience the musical instruments up close and personal.”
Of all the varieties of children’s entertainment out there, music is a pre-dominant factor in gaining the attention of children, whose attention spans are often unforgiving. It soothes the savage beast, and the unruly child and as Harris confirms, it really is the perfect medium in teaching younger children. “I really think music helps children in all areas, and one of the wonderful things I think Lah-Lah does is introduce kids to both the music and the instruments. It’s a real cause and effect. They’re seeing the musicians play on stage, so we take it a step further by bringing both our musicians and families to the stage to touch the instruments. For a child to have a tactile experience like that, it’s magical and a part of the show we’re proud of.”
Working with kids though, can be precarious and there is always potential for things to go pear-shaped. But this doesn’t deter Harris and the group, who take it in their stride if and when things go ‘off script’. “There’s one spot in the show where we do a song called ‘The belly Button Ballroom’, and Lah-Lah asks the audience if they’ve brought their belly-buttons with them. You’ll always get that gorgeous little kid that goes ‘I’ve got mine, here it is’ and want to show each other. In another part of the show we talk about healthy snacks and ask ‘Do you want apples, banana’s etc.’, and they usually reply ‘no’ and ask about other foods. It’s nothing serious, and one of the nicest things about working with kids is that they’re so immediate, I love seeing all those beautiful little faces smiling and screaming out in the audience, it’s really breathtaking.”
In the meantime, Lah-Lah and the Big Live Band are working heavily on their YouTube Channel, which they see as a great resource for parents and teachers. It’s a fantastic offering and well worth taking a look. And despite the pressures of touring and being on the road in close confines so much, the group have a fantastic working relationship. “The band are really good friends and we are like a travelling family. When we were coming up with the characters, we used each other’s personality traits. Also, when we are playing in our ‘other’ music gigs, we call each other the Lah-Lah Band names. It’s really daggy.” laughs Harris.
There’s nothing daggy about entertaining children, so treat yourself and the kids to Lah-Lah’s Big Live Band on their Sing It Loud Tour. But you’d better be quick- shows are selling out FAST! Get tickets here:
By Dazz Hassan
Dates:
14th October Norwood SA – Norwood Concert Hall
15th October Gawler SA – Hewitson Theatre, Gawler STARplex
16th October Golden Grove SA – Golden Grove
Catch up with Lah-Lah on social media:
www.facebook.com/lahlahsbigliveband
www.instagram.com/lahlahsbigliveband
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