A Work in Progress

The Kindie Music Scene is a work in progress. Please check out http://mqwrites.blogspot.com/ for my most up to date postings.

Kindie Rocker Andy Z

Cutting through the cacophony of echoing voices and footsteps at the Hillsdale Mall in San Mateo, Bay Area Kindie Rocker Andy Z walks onto the small 6x6 raised stage and dons his twelve string guitar. Wearing his official uniform of tie-dyed shirt, shorts, and a backwards baseball cap, Andy Z begins the show with his very familiar song, Welcome To Andyland. Ba-ba-bah, rings out from the PA system, and the sea of children and parents surrounding Andy’s raised island in the mall begin bobbing their heads and clapping their hands to the rhythm.

If you are unaware of who Andy Z is, he is one of the most heavily booked and requested children’s musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area. For the past 10 years, Andy Z has entertained, engaged, and energized children and parents from San Francisco to San Jose and every place in between. Whether his stage is in a children’s library, a preschool, a mall, or outside under the sun, Andy Z’s highly contagious personality and amusing giggle grips all those who watch and listen.

Andy Z starting performing children’s music at various farmers’ markets around the Bay Area. Like all good musicians, Andy took notice of who was digging his sound, and adjusted his sets accordingly, “I begin mixing children’s songs into my sets during local farmers’ market shows. It was the kids who would stop their folks to watch me, so I thought I’d start playing specific songs for them.” The seeds were planted, and the rest is kindie rock history. Andy Z now performs over 300 children’s shows year, and has four children’s albums to his credit. 

Andy Z’s music can be described as an artful blend between classic children’s music in the style of Raffi, to straight up rock and roll beats that are more in line with today’s contemporary kindie rock music scene. Andy’s music is at a level that is accessible to young children, but can also be enjoyed by adults of all ages too. 

Busy as ever, Andy Z will be releasing a Halloween adventure themed album on October 1, 2011. This will be his fifth studio album. A bit of a departure from his usual preschool tunes, this album will have all the engaging qualities of an Andy Z album and will surely be a wonderful addition to the Andy Z music collection.

If you have young children, Andy Z’s live performances are a must see. With his 12 string guitar and his puppet friends Como C. Llama and Cecil the Dragon, Andy Z will get your children jumping and jiving to his music. From Down By the Bay to Sticky-Sticky Bubble Gum to Andy’s very own Scarecrow, Andy will put a smile on you and your child’s face and joy in your hearts. 

If you would like to see Andy Z perform live please visit www.AndyZ.com to see his performance schedule.