Hans Mayer
10th Annual Compilation Album Vox Pop Winner
9th Annual Children’s Album Vox Pop Winner
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Record Label: Myther Music
www.hansmayer.com
Home Base: Isle, Minnesota
Genre: Kids/Family
Category Entered: Compilation Album
Work Submitted: Silly Biz: Hans Mayer Favorites
Artists Featured: Dan Sebranek, Wayne Beezley,
Label: Myther Music
URL: www.hansmayer.com
Influences: Ry Cooder, David Lindley
Describe your nominated work: Silly Biz, Hans Mayer Favorites, is a collection of 22 songs from eight previous recordings. These songs will keep kids giggling, singing, jumping and dancing. All the favorites are here, from my trademark tune, “My Brother Eats Bugs” (yep, he really did eat bugs and he really did have a note sent home from the principal) to “One Hug” (its always the kissing sounds that get the kids into fits on this one), “Look at Me, I’m an Airplane” (all the sounds and pranks a little brother can make while pretending to be an airplane), “Baby Sitter” (a fantasy song about pulling pranks on the hapless baby sitter – don’t try this at home), “When I’m Feeling Silly (the things kids do when they get a case of the sillies), and “See You Later Alligator” (a tune that contains the silly rhymes that kids learn every generation).
Why did you choose to submit this work to The 10th IMA’s? I like the opportunities that the IMA’s offer independent musicians. This includes the recognition and exposure that the IMA’s give to my music.
Did you use any unusual effects or instruments in this recording? The musicians and myself all love to play around with sounds in the studio and these songs are full of them: including kissing sounds to make kids squirm on “One Hug,” to the Native American flute and falling rain on “Rain on Fawn Lake.” Our instruments include guitar, mandolin, bass, Native American flute, kazoo, banjo, drums, falling rain, pots and pans, and almost any surface we can hit with a drum stick. One tune, “Extraneous Noises,” is strictly an exercise in silly noises.
Were there any happy accidents while in the studio, or did everything go as planned? It’s all an accident! And being a musician is the biggest accident of all!
Did fans help you fund this project? Yes – by buying CDs and attending concerts.
Who’s sitting in your audience? kids, parents, grandparents, older siblings, baby sitters, daycare workers, teachers, puppies and dogs, park and recreation workers, church groups, elementary schools, festival crowds, friends, families, and fans of my adult music who now bring their kids and grandkids to my shows
What makes your fans unique? There are several generations of fans who now attend my shows and I know so many of them.
Are there any songs you wish you wrote? Woody Guthrie songs.
What artists are you listening to that would surprise your fans? I don’t think anything I do would surprise my fans!
What is your dream show lineup? Asleep at the Wheel
What is your guilty pleasure on the road? chocolate covered doughnuts
Any close calls or mishaps while on tour? There always are when you drive from gig to gig. I just rolled and totaled my car on an icy road last month – but I was able to walk away. After 25 years of touring, I’ve got buckets of stories.
Do you have any rituals before you go on stage? besides nerves?
Should music be free? We now live in an age when people expect it to be free and there is no going back. Should it be free? Obviously, for musicians this is a blow.
How has digital affected your career? My CD sales have gone down while downloads have increased – but it means less money overall.
Are digital singles vs. full albums the future of music? yep.
Finish this sentence: The music industry is… a very hard way to make a living, but the people who come to my shows make it all worth while.