Reader of the Week: Lindsay Weinberg

Rocknroll is for babies

By Molly Lynch
Published: December 1st, 2008 | 3:49pm

Not many people can list “rockstar for babies” as part of their resume. But for 26-year-old Lindsay Weinberg, rocking out with little ones is just another day on the job. The quirky Venus Zine reader and music teacher tells us what serves as her musical inspiration — and why playing guitars for babies is just too damn cool.

What do you love most about your job?

I teach Wiggleworms, group piano, and kids' voice at the Old Town School of Folk Music. I also perform at lots of kids' birthday parties and events. Whether my students are toddlers, adolescents, or adults, the best part of my job is the way my love of music and my desire to share it with others is magnified by the excitement and joy it brings out in them. I am always amazed to feel my energy grow to match a roomful of two-year-olds when I see them smiling and dancing with me.

What role has music played in your life?

I come from a very musical family, so singing, performing, and enjoying music have always been natural parts of my life. Our house was always full of sound, whether we were rocking out to the Roches or Blood Sweat and Tears on a Saturday morning, rehearsing a choral piece, practicing various instruments, or just joking around. My extended family stayed connected by attending everyone's concerts and musicals, inquiring what was in the works, sharing about musical experiences, and singing together at every gathering.

Who's your favorite female musician?

Jenny Lewis at home, the Ditty Bops by bicycle, Neko Case for the car, Emily Hurd live.

Do you play your own music? When did that start?

My first vocal solo was in church at age three. I went on to study piano and oboe, was in a bunch of musicals, and always sang in choirs. I didn't really start writing my own songs until I learned to play the guitar at 22. That was also the time I started playing with different bands. I've sung folk-pop with Congress of Starlings and jazz standards with Baba Manouche. Along with my own solo material, I am currently working with Come Sunday, which is an incredible jazz gospel group, and It's A Girl, which does very playful, fun songs.

What music makes you feel good?

Strong voices, complicated lyrics, vocal harmonies, horn sections, banjo, Hammond organ, honesty.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I'll have a band that plays my original songs. I'll have at least one solo album and one kids' album out, and at least one tour under my belt. You will have heard me play, and I will have made you smile!