Syosset’s Keri Wirth was well on her way to fulfilling her dream of becoming a recording artist specializing in vocally-driven dance music when the tune of her career trajectory suddenly changed.
“I had severe stage fright,” said Wirth, a recent Syosset transplant via New York City. “I loved recording my album and writing my songs, but I felt like performing wasn’t my thing.”
With live performance being one of the tenets of the music, Wirth knew she would have to find a way to overcome her fears and climb onto that stage. She decided that her best bet was practice—and better yet, practice in front of children. She signed up for a course with Music Together, a program that incorporates music into early childhood development, and found herself highly stimulated by the way children respond to music.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said, adding that her science and pre-med background galvanized her interest in the educational aspect of the program. “Combining the science and musical sides was just so stimulating, I thought, ‘this is it.’”
Though she had no experience babysitting and at the time had no interest of having children of her own (she now has two, ages 7 and 2), learning the ways in which music calms and inspires children, while helping their parents, turned out to be the perfect antidote to her performance anxiety.
“I felt rejuvenated by the response I was getting from not only the kids, but their parents as well,” she said. “Everything started coming more naturally to me. I realized that writing music that would appeal to both children and adults was my calling.”
With that newfound career path, Wirth left Music Together and decided to write her own curriculum. As a singer/songwriter and performer, Wirth created “Me and You Music” to comfort children, help them relate to their emotions, connect with their parents and enjoy a musical adventure that brightens their spirits in an engaging and playful atmosphere.
Wirth released a CD of original music titled Me And You on Nov. 10, making it available on iTunes and Spotify. She also has an album release party planned at the Sandbox Playspace, 51 Gibson Ave. in Huntington, on Saturday, Nov. 14. Wirth’s music has found an audience with local parents looking to not only relax their child’s emotional outbursts, but soothe their own jangled nerves as well.
“Babies are remarkable and react so quickly to music, at 9 months they are already clapping and kicking,” she said. “I crafted this CD to share with parents, for them to play in the house or in the car and parents tell me that now they can’t live without these songs.”
A self-taught musician who has been writing songs since she was 10-years-old, Wirth graduated from Cornell University in 1996 where she studied pre-med and played four years of Division 1 soccer. It has been a long journey since those college days and Wirth said she finally feels like she is making a difference in the world, both scientifically and creatively.
“I personally didn’t need to get up on stage and sell my songs,” she said. “The songs, I loved. And sharing felt beautiful. But that interaction on stage was not what I wanted. I didn’t feel like I was helping. It sounds huge, but I wanted to help the human race. Everything else felt superficial to me.”
So now, with her newly acquired ukulele skills, Wirth has turned her talent on its ear—and in the process, she’s found a comfortable way to reach a new and exciting audience that is eager to listen and learn.
“I finally feel comfortable and safe and confident,” she said. “When I see the children’s reactions and parents and grandparents, it confirms what I did the right thing and I am ready to get out into the world with this.”
Wirth currently holds classes on Thursdays at The Sandbox in Huntington. To connect and inquire about attending a class or booking her for an event, email Wirth at klwirth@aol.com or call her 516-606-6475. Visit www.keriwirth.com for more information.
