Artist says music for kids should be lively

Marvin Goldstein thinks music for children should be lively and fun. It should be music that adults can listen to and enjoy.

When he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1985, his first job in the church was Primary pianist. And he thought some of those Primary songs were, well, maybe not boring so much as "they needed more life. So, I started playing them that way." The kids loved it, he says, "although I imagine later on, they were surprised to learn that the songs really didn't go like that."

All these years later he still thinks kids music should get the toes tapping, so that's exactly how he does the songs on his latest CD, "Popcorn Popping and Other Fun Children's Favorites."

Goldstein, who is one of the most prolific artists around, has some 40 CDs to his credit, covering everything from religious music to show tunes, romance, classical tunes and more. "But I had never done anything for children, so I thought it was about time I did."

He also wanted it to be something parents could listen to with their children. "I didn't want it to be one of those albums that drive the parents crazy after the first time or two. I wanted something that was artistically and musically sound."

Over the years, Goldstein has done a lot of firesides for children, "so I've learned what children respond to." What's fun, he says, is that many of the children he first played for are now parents with children of their own.

"Popcorn Popping" includes 24 songs, many of them the Primary songs that were Goldstein's first introduction to LDS music. They are all given jazzy, upbeat arrangements, with Goldstein at the piano and Daron Bradford playing a variety of woodwind instruments.

"Daron's so amazing," said Goldstein in a telephone chat from his home in Florida. "This collaboration was really entertaining and fun. Daron and I both have 50 years experience in the music field, so on this CD, you're getting 100 years of musical experience."

Goldstein began performing at age 9. At age 18, he was awarded a music scholarship to Tel Aviv University School of Music in Israel. From there, he went on to the famed Mozarteum of Salzburg, Austria, and then completed bachelor and master of music degrees at Florida State University.

He travels extensively, sharing his gift of music, not only all over the United States, but all over the world. One of his pet projects is his Peace With Music Foundation, through which he hopes to "bridge the cultural, religious and political differences of people everywhere through the medium of music."