An Interview With Edward Sylvan
Nobody’s Going To Do It For You: This quote once was printed out and stuck onto the top of my laptop. As I may sit in front of it feeling unmotivated, I would read that and it would many times snap me into sudden purpose: Time to stand and take something off of the list, time to stretch and breathe, time to create. And especially as an artist and musician, when working on all aspects of this album, keeping my focus forward and progress steadily was always a goal.
As a part of our series about rising music stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ben Tatar.
From humming Billy Joel in the back seat of his family car during childhood road trips to performing on stages across Italy, music has stretched across the length and breadth of Ben Tatar’s life. A devoted music educator, composer and performer, Ben’s expertise ranges from early childhood music education to a professional performance résumé that includes both jazz and classical music.
A multi-instrumentalist (among them, trombone, tuba, piano, guitar, bass, and vocals), Ben Tatar has shared the stage with such notables as Maria Schneider, Slide Hampton, Ben Vereen, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Liebman, Bob Newhart, Phil Woods, and the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra. Ben has performed at local Chicago venues including Gallagher Way at Wrigley Field, Joliet’s Rialto Square Theater, Grant Park’s Harris Theater, City Winery, Martyrs’, Schubas, Millennium Park, The Music Box Theater, The Double Door, and The Green Mill Lounge. He has participated in Chicago’s Andersonville Midsommarfest, Milwaukee’s Third Ward Summer Sizzle, and Italy’s Umbria Jazz Festival. He regularly plays trombone throughout the Chicago area in several jazz and Top ’40s wedding bands.
Ben is in his 17th year of teaching elementary school general music to grades 1–5 in School District 96 in Long Grove, Illinois. His experience ranges from Wiggleworms classes for children ages 0–2 at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music (since 2015) to serving as music director/emcee for a Chicago-based dance troupe. He frequently partners with such organizations as the Chicago JCC, JUF, Bump Club and Beyond, the Chicago Botanic Garden, and Chicago’s East Bank Club.
In 2014, Ben launched his kids’ rock band, Ben Tatar and the Tatar Tots, releasing his first album, Food! that same year. The Tots maintain a busy schedule performing at Chicago area parks, street fests, and private events. Their shows are driven by crowd engagement, humor, and ‘something for every listener.’
In 2020, in response to the pandemic, Ben presented weekly Facebook Live musical variety shows featuring his collection of unusual instruments, fun songs to sing and dance at home, music history, and more. These shows were included in an NPR list of recommended virtual programming for quarantined kids and families and were featured on Chicago’s NBC-5 News. He also added ‘Sidewalk Serenades’ to his resume, short public performances on sidewalks in front of houses to help quarantined families celebrate.
Ben Tatar holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Kansas and a Master of Jazz Studies degree from DePaul University. He lives in the northern suburbs of Chicago with his wife Ilene and children Cameron and Everleigh.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I sometimes wonder if I even HAVE grown up. I think part of you has to stay young at heart as a children’s musician, so I keep one foot in adulthood and the other in the kids’ world. I think part of me has always preferred the company of kids to adults, and in teaching music to grades 1–5 for 17 years, being immersed in music for kids just goes with the territory.
I grew up in Highland Park, IL. I’m fortunate to have had parents who were incredibly supportive (and still are!). They encouraged me to get involved with music and to pursue it as I excelled as a performer and a young leader in the band programs in high school and college. I’ve had great opportunities as a high school drum major, vice president of a band at the University of Kansas, and a performer whose music and instruments have taken him around the world.
I began playing music in 2nd grade with private piano lessons and added trombone in 5th grade when I joined the beginning band. Over the years, I added other instruments such as acoustic guitar, trumpet, bass and developed as a vocalist. I believe my upbringing and schooling have all adequately prepared me for this current state where I wear many musical hats!
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
Without question, the moment that guided me towards focusing on kids’ music (or having a kids rock band) was when I attended Lollapalooza about 10 years ago with my then-girlfriend (and now wife, Ilene!). She pulled me aside as we went from one huge headliner stage to the other, and showed me where the out-of-the-way, secluded Kids stage at Kidsapalooza was. This was interesting, as we certainly didn’t have any children of our own at the time, but she knew it was something I had to see. I had no idea there even was a kids area of the festival.
I recall seeing a band on stage, with a dad dancing with his toddler son on a small dancefloor, beer in one hand. Part of me thought to myself: I can do this! I do this everyday in the general music classroom at Kildeer School (IL District 96). I can take my silly songs about food and develop them and get a stage all of my own!
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Here as I am ‘ramping up my campaign’ for my 2nd album “Seconds,” I received an email from a woman who visited my Facebook page and said she wanted me to pop a CD in the mail to her. In her payment note, she left her address in Texas. When I asked her how my Chicago-based band reached her in Texas, she told me the story of how her local library when she lived in Alabama had a copy of my first album “Food!” and she grabbed it (initially drawn in by the colorful cover art!). She loved it and bought copies for her children’s music teacher, who also enjoyed it. I have no idea how a copy of my music ended up in Alabama, but it shows you how your artistic projects, whatever they may be, can serve as a message in a bottle. You create something and you send it out there… it’s not for money and it’s not about yourself, but about the honesty that the art speaks. I was so grateful for that connection; it spoke of so many things.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
In one of our first-ever shows as a band, an agency booked Ben Tatar and the Tatar Tots to do a concert in the middle of a parking lot in the Chicago suburb of Lincolnshire. Normally sound and backline is provided for the band in these situations, but in this case, it was not… and I did not discover this until arriving there. Thankfully, our guitar player had an entire fleet of amps and monitors in his car and we performed for the parking lot patrons without a problem. It was a great eye-opening experience for me to be prepared as a performer (and business owner). These days the gig suitcase goes from show to show loaded with all sorts of items for millions of ‘what if’ situations that could pop up.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I’m thrilled about the November 12th release of Ben Tatar and the Tatar Tots’ second album, “Seconds.” It’s been a 4-year-long process of writing and recording 10 new songs, all about food, with 33 Chicago-local musicians. Songs range from New Orleans 2nd line to rhumbas to funk jams, big band swing and beyond. Each song is carefully crafted to satisfy musical standards for adult/parent ears, and clever lyrics and musical hooks for younger audience members. We regularly perform many of these songs at Chicagoland family events, private parties, kids concerts and park districts year-round. It’s been fun to gather such a diverse group of musicians and people together for a mixing bowl of sounds and influences on “Seconds.”
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
Especially as a parent of a 6 and 2-year old, I know I want my kids to grow up in a more diversified and tolerant environment. I do hope that greater attention to diversity allows for the younger generations to grow up as stronger leaders — perhaps stronger than the ones we may be stuck within my generation.
The town where I grew up was (and still is) a predominantly white, Jewish, mid-to-upper class suburb. Aside from a smaller Latino population, my classmates in high school were all very much like me. It really drew me to make sure I went to college in a place that was totally different and where I didn’t know anyone. As Highland Parkers, I feel that we are aware that we aren’t the most diverse group, but we’re more aware of how to identify diversity. Why is it important? How does having a more different group of people around you create better results?
In TV and film, it becomes a visual representation of seeing the world beyond the group of which you are a part. Seeing a collection of people who all look differently means different viewpoints and opinions from different life and cultural experiences. How refreshing it is to be in the pleasant company of people with different approaches and styles. Understanding cultures different than the one to which you belong doesn’t have to mean complete understanding, but awareness and acceptance. What great things to take away from a meeting of diverse individuals.
From a musical standpoint, I’m proud to have involved both men and women in this project (both from a musical and graphics standpoint), as well as many different cultures represented in musicians and in song style. Just as maybe being surrounded by only Highland Parkers may seem boring, I wouldn’t want all of my songs on the album to be the same style, tempo, feel, etc. For the ears, I hope a diverse array of sounds and genres will allow the listener to take more and more from each playthrough.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1. Invest In Yourself: I heard it…. But just not when I started. I wish I had started my journey to being in a kids rock band earlier than I did! I wonder how far I might be now or how many albums I might have if I had started putting it together and branding myself earlier. This is not something I usually dwell on, but putting a focus on my own energy and ability is the current mantra. Some people never get there.
2. Nobody’s Going To Do It For You: This quote once was printed out and stuck onto the top of my laptop. As I may sit in front of it feeling unmotivated, I would read that and it would many times snap me into sudden purpose: Time to stand and take something off of the list, time to stretch and breathe, time to create. And especially as an artist and musician, when working on all aspects of this album, keeping my focus forward and progress steadily was always a goal.
3. Don’t Quit Your Day Job: And I haven’t! I am in year 17 as the general music teacher in IL District 96’s Kildeer Countryside School.
4. Breathe: Through all adversity on stage and off… don’t forget to breathe. Stop, drop your shoulders and your jaw, and draw in a big healthy breath of air. Breathe out slowly. Especially last year, I began making yoga a part of my daily instruction with grades 2–5. Whether on stage or sitting hypnotized at the laptop…. Don’t forget to breathe!
5. Don’t Put A Slow Waltz On Your First Kids Album: Oh, but I did it anyway. It’s called “Oh Buffet Line,” and it’s about going to a buffet, and as you are about grab the tongs and start filling your plate, the restaurant begins to close for the day! Our new album “Seconds” features a sequel song — “Back To The Buffet.” I won’t ruin the storyline, but it’s one of my favorite tracks on the album. Maybe it wouldn’t have happened this way if I didn’t…. put a slow waltz on my first album!
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
I think knowing when to ‘go home’ or throw in the towel has been a valuable tool in prolonging a fresher outlook. Too many times early on as a teacher, I would spend until 7pm in the classroom getting things ready for the next day. Obviously now, with different parental and musical priorities, I leave much earlier and budget my time differently. But knowing when to switch your time back to your own personal needs, or trying to even set a time each day by which this happens, is a good technique.
As a children’s musician, I try to always keep the focus on why I am doing what I do. I get so much enjoyment by seeing kids (of any age) enjoying music and allowing their body to naturally absorb and process a beat, a solo, the words of a refrain… I think human interaction with music is so important. Although life can get stressful, I do whatever I can to put it all on the shelf for performances. Worries and problems will be there for me when I put the guitar away, but for the kids who may be sitting with me in a library or at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, this may be the highlight of their day or even a life-changing experience.
Finally, I’d advise anyone who is starting to feel burned out to… explore the burnout. Have an honest conversation with yourself on why this exhausted feeling is there, or what can be done about it. Perhaps the burnout needs temporary refocusing, or perhaps it’s evidence that passion is moving towards something else. Don’t be afraid to explore something else. For me, I feel like I would wear some guilt if I became a burned-out musician or teacher and delivered performances that sounded that way. Especially when I consider that a child can miss out on so many great opportunities in a musical setting, I recognize the value of my position.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
An overall environment of positivity and inclusion is essential to the musical setting I work in. At a Ben Tatar and the Tatar Tots show, all are welcome and nobody is a stranger. In fact, in our opening track off of “Seconds” called “Jambalaya,” one of the lines I sing sums it up nicely: Sit down as strangers, stand up as friends.
A wave of positivity, especially when a young audience has so much of it to absorb, is so important. On the other hand, a negative force in a musical performance can bring down an audience and an experience as well. I’ve always felt like making sure an audience leaves a show in a good mood and with a song in their head puts everyone on the right path for a good day and to make someone else’s day good as well. Everyone gets to sing in their own voice, dance in their own way, and there are many paths to having a good time at a Tots show.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Whether I have been 13 or 23 or 43, I am so lucky that my parents come to all of my shows. Even musicals I put on with my 2–5th graders… they don’t miss a show! Their support and ‘always being there’ is second to none. And not to be outdone, my true #1 fan is my wife Ilene. Without her pushing and encouraging, I never would have set out to make album #1, let alone a follow-up. It’s great to look out and see people have a good time at a Tots show, but nothing beats looking out and seeing your parents, wife and kids coming together to the music you’ve written and singing along with you.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Create Your Own Opportunity” has been a recurring lesson for me as a professional musician. I actually set out as a young music student with dreams of being the director of a college jazz program, and an early job search had me ‘settling’ for grades 1–5 general music position. As it turns out, I’ve been there for 17 years now.
As a trombonist in Chicago, I saw my place in certain wedding bands get cut due to budgets and preference over other instruments. I kept ‘creating my own opportunity’ in mind by making sure the trombone is heavily incorporated in our music, especially in our live shows. It is not unusual for me to take a trombone solo into the audience to prove my point!
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Private breakfast or lunch would always be great, but that exposes me to the National Geographic experience of having someone I admire have to watch me eat. Can I just sip coffee with someone? I’m tempted to dip into the list of American cultural royalty… maybe someone like Dolly Parton or David Byrne. As I have grown older and wish to keep learning, I feel like I’d rather a private encounter to be one where maybe I can sit at a piano and have a composition or performance lesson. I’d love to get a lesson with Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen or if they are cooking the private breakfast, Chopped judge Chris Santos. And especially as a Chicagoan, I’d love to sip coffee with the Obamas.
How can our readers follow you online?
They can follow me at BenTatarMusic on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or at www.BenTatarMusic.com
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About The Interviewer: Growing up in Canada, Edward Sylvan was an unlikely candidate to make a mark on the high-powered film industry based in Hollywood. But as CEO of Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc, (SEGI) Sylvan is among a select group of less than ten Black executives who have founded, own and control a publicly traded company. Now, deeply involved in the movie business, he is providing opportunities for people of color.
In 2020, he was appointed president of the Monaco International Film Festival, and was encouraged to take the festival in a new digital direction.
Raised in Toronto, he attended York University where he studied Economics and Political Science, then went to work in finance on Bay Street, (the city’s equivalent of Wall Street). After years of handling equities trading, film tax credits, options trading and mergers and acquisitions for the film, mining and technology industries, in 2008 he decided to reorient his career fully towards the entertainment business.
With the aim of helping Los Angeles filmmakers of color who were struggling to understand how to raise capital, Sylvan wanted to provide them with ways to finance their creative endeavors.
Music Stars Making A Social Impact: Why & How Ben Tatar Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.