Nick Deysher: In The Nick of Time

Nick Deysher said it plainly: "I grew up listening to kids' music by Bill Harley, Barry Louis Polisar and, of course, the Sesame Street records. I'm al…" — and Premier Guide Miami was in the room when it happened.

Making silly faces — an uninhibited, often playful gesture — will almost always evoke laughter, jeers, or tears from a child or even an adult. South Florida teacher Nick Deysher has capitalized on this simple gesture to create music specifically for the juvenile audience that adults can equally enjoy and sing along to. Making Silly Faces is the name of Nick's newest album, with catchy, kid-friendly lyrics. His previous albums include One Man Band (2001), In The Nick of Time (2003), Coconut Groove (2007), and the Parents' Choice Gold Award-winning People, Places & Things (2009). Premier Guide Miami's Judith Wallace spoke with Deysher about his music, his teaching, and his growing national profile.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Making Silly Faces is your fifth recording album. What can your fans expect from this album?

NICK DEYSHER: It is a celebration of the music that I grew up with from the seventies until today. I like to do a variety of different types of music whenever I record. So this time around I tried to think about all of my favorite recordings growing up and try to use a little bit of that inspiration in all of the songs that I recorded for this album.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: What was the concept behind the album cover?

NICK DEYSHER: Originally I was going to put my face on the cover making a bunch of different silly faces. Then I had an idea to do a contest and have my fans submit their photos of their silly faces, which I thought would be really fun. I got a lot of submissions and I chose six children who sent in their photos for the cover. I also put some on the inside and posted some of them on my website as well because they were so good it was hard to choose.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: You were awarded the 2010 Parents' Choice Gold Award. Describe that feeling.

NICK DEYSHER: That was really validation for my previous album. I have been working hard at making good music for eleven years now since I graduated college. I was really proud of my last album, to be recognized among other artists who were on the list last year. I am still working my way up the ladder and trying to make a national name for myself.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: You are a music teacher, so I assume that you understand children very well. How does that experience factor in when you make a song or an album?

NICK DEYSHER: The one nice thing about being a teacher and having an active classroom routine is that I can test out songs as I go along — in terms of seeing which ones go over well. The other aspect of that is being around them; I see what excites them and what gets them moving. Sometimes there are songs that I think sound pretty good, and then I go in front of a class and it just doesn't work for whatever reason. So it's a good way to sort of test what I am doing. Also when I am in the process of writing a song, I try to get in the mindset of the age that I am writing for because the music may inspire me as an adult. But the themes are things that I would listen to growing up or what I see every day in the classroom.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: From a teaching standpoint, how important is it that music is used as a teaching tool in the classroom?

NICK DEYSHER: I have dedicated my whole life to music education, so obviously it is a big, important factor in my life, and what I feel should be the life of all children growing up. There are so many studies that prove that music, even though it can be used as a tool to teach, goes beyond that. It also helps the process of learning. So I am very supportive of music education and I also think that it is an important feature in a child's education.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Most times when you hear a kiddie album it tends to sound one-dimensional or like something you've already heard. With you, your sound varies a lot and it is very hip. Was that a deliberate decision?

NICK DEYSHER: I definitely recognize that the music that I make will be listened to by the whole family — that's my hope. I think that the people making really good children's music in the industry right now are the people that recognize that and try to incorporate things that parents will appreciate. There are a lot of people out there doing that kind of independent music. I think that's something to have as a goal — that when you are making music, hopefully the parents are going to listen to it a lot. So you want to make it something that they will appreciate and enjoy. As far as the songwriting goes, the concepts and the ideas behind the song are inspired by what kids would think and what would be appropriate for them. But the music is a tie between all generations that are listening to it together.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Can we look forward to seeing DVDs soon?

NICK DEYSHER: I hope at some point to find a good film director or someone who I can collaborate with on good video content.

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