Connecting with the kids
Berkner plays at bergenPAC

 Author: ALFA GARCIA, STAFF WRITER 

 WHO: The Laurie Berkner Band. 

WHAT: Fund-raiser for the Todd Ouida Children's Foundation and the Community Foundation of New Jersey. 

WHEN: 1 p.m. Sunday. 

WHERE: Bergen Performing Arts Center, 30 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood; 201-227-1030 or bergenpac.org. 

HOW MUCH: $30 to $75; tickets are nearly sold out, visit the band's official Web site for tips on getting them: twotomatoes.com.

Brevity was a long time coming for Laurie Berkner, whose simple but infectious pop tunes have made her a household favorite for kids and parents.

"I'm the sort of person who says a lot and writes too much," said Berkner, who is completing her fifth studio album with band mates Susie Lampert and Adam Bernstein. "When I started writing kids songs, I realized I had to be much more direct. Musically I learned to keep it very simple ... to make sure there was always this connection with the kids."

So far her approach has been a winning one, earning her a title as the "Queen of Rock," thanks to sold-out shows, a DVD release, three children's books — including an original songbook — and regular television appearances. And while the Princeton native forgoes tattoos and typical rock-star trimmings, Berkner, 39, ignites a wild, diaper-wearing legion of devoted fans.

"Every step of the way I'm working hard to maintain what I imagine is a reason why I connect with the kids," she said. "Every instrument, every note that's played is really important, so it's not just a wall of sound."

It also doesn't hurt that Berkner, who was once the preschool music teacher at Rockefeller University's Child and Family Center, knows what it's like to lose the attention of young students. 

"I started realizing that if I would ask them what they wanted to do and write songs around that, rather than going through the library trying to pick out things, it worked a lot better," she said. 

It was during this time that Berkner teamed up with Lampert. They were joined by Berkner's now-husband, Brian Mueller, until 2006, when he left the band to separate his personal and professional lives. Bernstein, who had already played on the first three albums, took over. 

Berkner largely credits television for expanding the band's fan base. Her music videos are seen regularly on Noggin, an educational TV station for preschoolers that features her music on its Web site. The band has also performed on daytime shows like "Good Morning America" and "The Today Show." 

"The accessibility and the combination of the visual with the music is a positive [way] to connect with kids and their parents," she said. "The kids really love it, and I think the parents go from [thinking] 'Please be something I can tolerate' to being moved by it themselves."

And while Berkner's songs magically convert parents who expect to cringe through hokey major-key tunes, the crowd's positive reaction is transforming for the songwriter herself.

"It happens enough that it's inspiring for me," Berkner said. "It keeps me wanting to do more."

In memory of Todd

The Todd Ouida Children's Foundation was launched as a tribute to a River Edge resident who died in the World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11, 2001. The foundation supports mental health programs for children and raises awareness of anxiety and depression disorders, which Ouida had suffered in his youth. The Laurie Berkner Band's performance will take place on Ouida's birthday. For more information, visit mybuddytodd.org.

Proceeds from the event will also benefit the Community Foundation of New Jersey's "Zippy's Friends" program, which provides duffle bags to children in foster care.