Singer/songwriter Eric Herman is unique in the fact that he sings for children and families.
The performer had his song, "Blackbeard, Bluebeard and Redbeard" voted best children's song by the Just Plain Folks, an international music organization, in 2006. His video for "The Elephant Song" now has 6 million views on YouTube.
And his music has been heard on PBS Kids, XM Radio, Sirius and Fox & Friends.
Herman didn't start off wanting to sing and write songs for children.
"I sang in coffee houses in Buffalo, N.Y.," said Herman, who cited Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash as his early musical influences. "I was doing the folk thing. But I also noticed that some parents would bring their kids to the places. I kind of felt sorry for the kids. So I would play a couple of songs for them. The songs would be like the 'Peanuts' theme or 'Scooby Doo,' anything that I knew at the time that kids would like."
After a while, people started telling Herman that he had a talent for relating to children.
"The one thing I didn't want to become was 'Barney,' " he said. "I don't have anything against the purple dinosaur, and I think he's great for younger kids. But I wanted to be a singer/songwriter for children and not a mascot."
Herman went to the library and checked out books about children's songs.
"I realized that you can play almost any type of style as long as the lyrics are kid-friendly and relate to them," he said. "But I don't see any death-metal children's bands coming around anytime soon. But, hey, who knows.
"Seriously, the songs need to be about things kids like, and have, to be fun."
Herman decided to make his songs educational and relied on wit and melody. His first album, "The Kid in the Mirror," was released in 2003, to critical acclaim, but it was his follow-up, 2005's "Monkey Business," that started to affect Herman's life.
The CD features the hit "The Elephant Song" and put Herman on the children's music map.
"Snow Day" and "Snail's Pace," the latter featuring a new version of "The Elephant Song," paved the way for his new CD "What a Ride," which was released on June 16.
"The new CD is not a concept album, but it kind of plays out like one," said Herman, who now lives in the Pacific Northwest. "The first tracks are geared to younger kids, but the overall album is skewed for an older kid, around the age of 8 or 9, just because of the depths of the songs. It starts with songs about bugs and ends with the child trying to imagine the size of the universe."
When Herman goes on tour, he sometimes takes his family with him.
He has two daughters, ages 4 and 6. He and his wife, Roseann, pack them into a motor home and hit the road.
"If I go and play a couple of dates, I don't take the family, but if it's extended, then I will," he said. "Recently, we had to buy another motor home for the East Coast shows."
Herman said there is nothing more rewarding than to see the kids' reactions during his show.
"And it's also nice to see parents get into the performance, too," he said. "Some parents will come in and sit in the corner and read while I play the library shows, but the times when they put their book down and come join the audience is a highlight for me.
"Children need their own music," he said. "And, yes, each household has their likes and dislikes, but if a child can like a certain type of music and take ownership of it, it builds character. And I like to think that I'm giving them a safe and educational choice."
If you go ...
What: Eric Herman
Where: Salt Lake County libraries
When: June 26-July 2
How much: free
E-mail: scott@desnews.com