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Laurie Berkner has been a professional musician since 1992, but her success as a children's recording artist was a surprise to her. "It was so unexpected," says Laurie. "I'd been performing in rock bands and struggling to write original music. Writing music for kids has not been a struggle at all. The more I started working on material for children, the more I realized that it opened up creativity in me that I never knew I had." These days critics widely acknowledge Laurie's major contribution toward launching what is now dubbed the progressive "kindie rock" movement — that is, less saccharine, more rock music that is not dumbed down for children. But it wasn't simply an enormous amount of talent that helped create an entire genre that skyrocketed Laurie to her current position as "the queen of children's music" (People Magazine). It was an ability to gain parents' enthusiasm for the songs too. These days Laurie continues to be inspired by her audience. "I want to create songs that matter for children," she says. "I was singing once and saw a four-year-old girl shut her eyes and start swaying to the music. I thought, ‘That's the reason I got into music.' It keeps me wanting to do more."The Laurie Berkner Band performs across North America. Their concerts have been held at various venues from the White House to Carnegie Hall.