Northampton's Nerissa and Katryna Nields (of The Nields) have a collection of children's songs on a CD called All Together in the Kitchen. Concentrating on lively renditions of traditional folk tunes, as well as originals, the collection is a platform for their breezy, whimsical observation of the young folk. "All Together Singing began as a private recording for my kids," says Katryna. "This is the only full-length children's CD we have out. I do think it is sometimes challenging to think like a kid, but I also think that kids respond to authenticity. This benefit for the Sterling Greenery Community Park is on Sunday, Sept. 30, at the Chocksett Middle School in Sterling at 4 p.m. Tickets are $7 each, $25 for four tickets. Call 978-793-0594. o

— C. Arsenault

Interview

By Charlene Arsenault

Following is an Interview with Katryna Nields of The Nields. The group plays a concert for kids to benefit the Sterling Greenery Community Park, on Saturday, Sept. 29 at Chocksett Middle School from 4-5 p.m.

WM: What's this new disc all about? I read that it's a mix of reworked folk classics and originals. Describe the mix of tunes.

KN: All Together Singing in the Kitchen began as a private recording for my kids. Nerissa and I grew up in a family that sang. Our dad played the guitar and sang in a beautiful tenor and our mother harmonized. Nerissa and I learned to fit in around them. We sang in our friends' backyards after a cookout; we sang around campfires in the Adirondack mountains and we sang most of all in our kitchen. After I had children, I felt more and more that I wanted them to have what I had had. Being a musician by trade sometimes means that you forget to be a musician for pleasure and fun. Having children gave that part of music back to me. They asked me to pick up my guitar, to sing their favorite songs, to dance with them to a favorite CD. But I wanted them to have my father's voice. Well, our father is a very busy lawyer down in Washington, D.C., and it took awhile, but eventually I lured him up to our studio. We spent the weekend after Thanksgiving holed up in my husband Dave Chalfant's studio. I think we recorded 23 songs in two days. By the end of the weekend, I realized that we had something that might appeal to kids outside of my immediate family. So we fleshed out the record with songs Nerissa and I had written for the kids and with some tracks from a live show we did in Easthampton. These are songs that Nerissa and I grew up singing and loving.

WM: Why the interest in writing children's music? Is this the only children's CD you have out?

KN: This is the only full-length children's CD we have out. We did record a 12-minute EP of songs that I wrote about my daughter Amelia's stuffed animals. I think All Together Singing in the Kitchen can safely be called our first family CD. I think I already answered the first half of the question, but the interest came from our own children. I have a six-year-old daughter and a two-and-a-half-year-old son. Nerissa has a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter. Making music for children is the most natural thing in the world. I cannot even begin to count how many people I have met who never hummed a tune before having children, but upon looking into those sweet eyes learned an entire repertoire of music to sing. Bedtime, car trips, bath time, meal time — there are so many times when music can help parents connect to their children and even to convince their children to do things they otherwise would refuse to do. I can always cheer up my son with a rousing "Take me for a ride in your car car." I just change the words to something silly and he is putty in my hands.

WM: Is The Nields still a band, or now a duo?

KN: The Nields is almost always Nerissa and me. However, a few times a year we play as a band. Dave Hower and Dave Chalfant are usually involved in that. Dave Chalfant also plays all the instruments on this CD, save the original acoustic guitar. He produces all of our albums and plays on all of them as well. We named this album The Nields because our father was on it too and his last name is Nields.

WM: Do you think it's more difficult than people think to relate to children? Everyone thinks it sounds so simple to write a children's song or write a children's book. I would argue it's harder than most people imagine. Explain how you get that connection. How do you think like a kid?

KN: The songs we wrote for this record were written for specific kids. "Planting an Even Row" is for our niece and nephew — twins named Emmett and Reese. "Anna, Kick a Hole in the Sky" was written by Nerissa for my daughter, Amelia. "The Toes" poem and "Farewell, My Pants" were written for my son, William. I think writing for a specific child helps to relate to all children. As far as the rest of the CD, we remembered which songs were important to us growing up. We listened to our own kids' opinions and went from there. I do think it is sometimes challenging to think like a kid, but I also think that kids respond to authenticity. I think our love of this music is apparent to kids and that is what makes kids respond to it. We don't think about making kids' music, we think about making music we love that we think kids might love to. That keeps us sane and hopefully keeps kids smiling and singing along. It works in my kitchen.o