Meet Esther Crow | Singer/Songwriter/Advocate/Puppeteer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Esther Crow and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Esther, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
What would give me great joy is if any of my songs motivate people to take action, even in small ways. Any act of generosity or kindness. Or volunteering at a food pantry or joining a climate justice rally. The messages of my songs are very important to me, but so is the songwriting itself. I’m influenced by a ton of genres, so if people are moved by the music as well as the message- and the diversity of the styles- that would also fulfill me greatly.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I strive to motivate kids and families to take action through music and humor. These methods usually draw people into your cause more effectively than lecturing. I use puppets in my live shows, and also include puppet voices in my recordings. That, coupled with my diverse range of musical influences, is what I’m most excited about when I develop my material. In terms of challenges: being an artist of any kind these days is immensely challenging and time-consuming because there are so many platforms and you’re expected to create content for all of them in addition to booking gigs, writing more songs, maintaining a website, etc. It’s a lot!! And for independent artists who don’t have representation, which is most artists I know, it can be hard to know when the work day ends. Social media can add to the pressure when you start comparing your work output to others. At the end of the day, I have learned to be more patient with myself when I don’t cross all the “to dos” off my list. Because if I don’t make time for my family or a walk in the park, I’m not living a well-rounded life. And when I do spend time with my family or take a walk in the park, I also have to remind myself that I don’t always need to post about it on social media, LOL!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, I’d start with right in my neighborhood on the Upper West Side! I grew up a few blocks from one of the largest gothic cathedral in the world: The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. I was lucky enough to be a part of several Christmas pageants my middle and high school produced in this space. So I’d definitely take my friend here for a tour, and then across the street to the Hungarian Pastry Shop, which has been on Amsterdam and 111th Street since 1976. They have the best chocolate eclairs, cakes and cookies. Then, I’d let my friend choose between upper Central Park- where I’ve filmed several music videos- or Riverside Park. Both have their own personalities. Upper Central Park is actually kind of woodsy and there are a couple of ponds. You don’t feel like you’re in a city at all. And Riverside Park is by the Hudson River and has its own unique, haunted charm and winding paths with lots of huge oak and other deciduous trees (as does Central Park). In the spring, there are lots of cherry blossoms and in the fall, the leaves turn beautiful colors. Bike riding in either park is also lots of fun.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people I could name within the Children’s Music community. Especially since the beginning of Covid, we have all uplifted each other and I think the general feeling is that we all win when we all support one another. That said, in terms of my musical output, I need to shoutout three people in particular: My husband, Dan, and my son, Vincent. Not only do they add so much to the recordings, but to the excitement of my live shows when they’re able to join in. Another person I need to mention is my producer, Dean Jones, who does so much more than engineer the songs. He truly works as a musical partner to nail the vibe of each of my tracks and is just a dream to work with. And he’s a musical genius who is a multi-instrumentalist plus he has a great voice! The complexity and richness of my songs can truly be credited to him.

Website: https://esthercrow.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estocrow/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-crow-30a48098/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/esther.crow.9/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClrGhXOw8MUieA9WqaI36lw

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ToMAIY060vU2Fi0MCq9ph?si=hmG7mz_AS8Cg2l0aw32PUw,

Image Credits
Dan Crow Jolie DuFrane Lindi Gordon