Meet Esther Crow of New York

Today we’d like to introduce you to Esther Crow.

Esther, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started writing music for kids after the birth of my son, Vincent Crow (now almost 13!), in 2013. My first project was Thunder & Sunshine- a 6 piece band with 3 female singers- which released one album in 2017, which received an Award of Excellence from the Film Advisory Board. We performed all around NYC, including Joe’s Pub, but Covid presented a challenge for live shows, so I pivoted to solo endeavors and started playing a lot at home with my family (Vincent on mandolin and drums, and my husband, Dan Crow, on bass). My debut solo album for kids, All Together Now (released 6/25/2021) was produced by Grammy-winning engineer Dean Jones, and won a 2021 NAPPA Award. I followed this up with a single for Earth Day called “Stuff” which addresses overconsumption and asks families to give away their stuff instead of throwing it away (into landfill). I realized I could fill a niche in the world of children’s music by writing more songs about the climate and taking action. I also got involved with a grass-roots organization called Climate Families NYC, a group that stages creative climate protests with our kids. Inspired to continue on this path, I wrote more climate and social justice songs for my next album, Listen Lead Love, released in 2023. And I just released my 3rd album for kids called Get Silly, jam-packed with simple and silly songs for the 0-5 age range. This album fills me with so much joy- I just needed to take a little break from the climate/social justice stuff and since the audiences at my recent library and museum gigs skew very young, I needed more material. So far, the album has gotten great response- both the recordings and when I perform them live.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think, like most people, Covid got in the way of a lot of things! That said, although most live shows were canceled at that time, new things were introduced like performing virtually and also cities became more creative and implemented programs like NYC’s Open Streets initiative, where I continue to perform and also lead puppet-making workshops. Puppet-making is something I actually added to my resume because of covid. I even taught some online classes. I was able to tie these into my brand by making sustainable puppets out of found objects, using toilet paper cardboard rolls for the base. Today, my most popular puppet-making workshop is pollinator puppets, where I begin with an introduction about pollination with the help of my puppet, Bernie the Bee. The kids then make their own bee, bat and butterfly puppets.

The biggest struggle for any working musician is making a living at it. Especially if you’re a freelancer and not steadily working in schools, it can be hard. Funding my artistic output is definitely an ongoing challenge but as my performance bookings have increased, so has my ability to fund my videos and expand my merchandise. Also: connecting with other, more experienced children’s artists has been so helpful in building confidence and community. There’s a lot of great people in this world!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
A focus on climate and social justice has set me apart, and using puppets in my live shows. I think that’s what i’m best known for. The puppets are a neat way to connect to the very young and break down these large concepts into palatable parts. I have a song called “Stuff!”, for example, which encourages kids not to over consume, and to give away their usable stuff. I also have a brand new song on my Get Silly album called Bees are Pollinators, which I’m promoting as “Baby’s first climate song” as it’s all about how bees and other pollinators play an important part in helping to produce fruits and vegetables. Leading the pollinator puppet-making workshops is also something unique to my field. I love crafting puppets while also teaching about the critters we are creating.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Yes! I was lucky enough to actually find a lot of other kids musicians on Facebook. It can be a great resource (probably the best use of this often toxic platform LOL). Through Facebook I was able to find members of a fantastic organization called The Children’s Music Network (childrensmusic.org), which is a network of musicians, educators and librarians. I joined the board a couple years ago and it’s just a wonderful community of people who support each other and we are also working on a mentor program. We also have an annual conference and this year it is in Philly. We encourage anyone working with kids to join us for a fun-filled weekend of community and networking! Registration is on our website: childrensmusic.org

Contact Info:

• Website: https://esthercrow.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estocrow/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/esther.crow.9/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClrGhXOw8MUieA9WqaI36lw
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/album/4u1sjzDwXt047MLEHt5Tka?si=5EmD2gZeQu278ycoFXGLcw&nd=1&dlsi=0b1a0d60a3c34db8