Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How GRAMMY Winning Music Producer Dennis Scott Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
Through my recordings, I have come to appreciate Mister Rogers and his message of kindness. He is also a talented songwriter who wrote over two hundred songs for his daily PBS show. Fred Rogers’ songs are both lyrically and musically sophisticated and meant for adult ears as well. However, he has not been given the credit he is due because people tend to associate Fred more with his work as a child educator than as a composer.
As a part of our series about stars who are making an important social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dennis Scott.
Two-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producer/writer Dennis Scott has left no corner of the children’s music industry unexplored. His songs have been performed by such diverse artists as Faith Hill, Ray Charles, Sugarland, Alison Krauss, The Muppets, Amy Grant, CeCe Winans, Trisha Yearwood, Elmo, The Charlie Daniels Band, Shari Lewis, Crystal Gayle, Roberta Flack, Ricky Skaggs, and many others. Dennis is also the recipient of two Emmys, a Parents’ Choice Award, and a Telly. You can hear his work on television, radio, audiobooks, home videos, and stage productions such as Clifford the Big Red Dog, Sesame Street Live and The Magic School Bus. Dennis began his entertainment career at the age of seven as an actor on Broadway. As an adult, he toured with the New Christy Minstrels (playing upright bass and singing). His novelty tune “Captain Kirk’s Disco Trek” led to his first serious foray into children’s music and a Grammy for Sesame Country. He has had nonstop assignments since then. Dennis has served as Music Director for several children’s TV shows including the PBS series Noddy and, most recently, BJ’s Teddy Bear Club which airs on TBN and just earned him his second Emmy award. His album, Songs From The Neighborhood — The Music of Mister Rogers won a Grammy award as Best Musical Recording for Children in 2005. His latest produced album, Thank You, Mister Rogers — Music & Memories is available on CD, and wherever digital music is sold and streamed at orcd.co/ThankYouMisterRogers.
Thank you so much for joining us on this interview series. Can you share with us the backstory that led you to this career path?
I was drawn to music at an early age and was already taking singing lessons when I was six. My first “professional” appearance was completely unplanned and took place at one of the Catskills’ most prestigious resorts, The Concord Hotel. The story goes that while my parents were checking in I went exploring and discovered the entrance to the hotel nightclub. I innocently asked the lady taking reservations if I could sing there that night and she said, “Sure, kid” — just to get rid of me. That evening, while my whole family was seated in front of the nightclub stage, they suddenly realized that little Dennis was missing. When they looked up they saw me on the stage handing my sheet music to the bandleader. He asked, “Who told you you could sing here?” I innocently told him it was the lady in charge. So he lowered the mic stand to my diminutive height and told the audience, “I don’t know what we’ve got here folks, but this kid’s gonna sing.” The next day my grandfather went and had one of those fake newspaper headlines printed up. In big bold letters it said, “Dennis Wows Them at the Concord!” After that, there was no turning back.
Not everyone knows that I was a child actor. At age seven, I was on Broadway in a Noel Coward musical called Sailaway. I must have had some entrepreneurial blood in me because somehow I managed to get my dog into the show as well (I think the dog made more money than I did). Other shows and TV appearances followed and I was lucky enough to work with show business legends such as Sammy Davis Jr., Jonathan Winters, and Eddie Albert. Still early in my career, I was also offered the chance to be in the chorus of the hit show Oliver but my mom turned it down because I had just finished being in the chorus of another show for the past year. What we didn’t know was that the cast of Oliver was booked to perform on The Ed Sullivan show the same night that The Beatles made their first appearance on American television to over seventy-three million viewers. Before The Beatles I was only interested in show tunes, but after a few bars of “A Hard Day’s Night” the world of pop music opened up before my eyes.
Years later, I picked up a guitar and began playing gigs around the New York area. I still had one foot in the theater world and became a drama/speech arts major at Hofstra University. Then one day during an acting class, my professor stopped me in the middle of improvisation and, in front of the entire class, said that I had no talent for acting. That sounded pretty harsh at the time, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because she was right! But more importantly, it redirected me to what had been my passion all along — music.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career? What was the lesson or takeaway you took out of that story?
When Sailaway was in Boston having its out-of-town tryouts, it was announced that Jacqueline Kennedy was coming to see the show and that she would greet the cast after the show. Being the precocious child that I was, I convinced two other boys in the chorus that we should do something special. So that evening, after the show ended, the entire cast lined up behind the curtain as Mrs. Kennedy walked by smiling at each of us. When she approached the kids, I pretended to faint and fell back into the arms of the two other boys. It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, but it made the evening papers with the caption, ”Dennis Clowns a Faint.” So I learned at an early age that sometimes you have to make your own publicity.
Another thing that comes to mind was how I got a job in The New Christy Minstrels. Only weeks after starting graduate work at New York University I received a call to audition for the group. Their manager had seen me before but never heard me playing an upright bass — which is what they really wanted for the group. I could play an electric bass but had never even touched an acoustic bass. So I borrowed one from my high school’s music department and took a one quick lesson with a local bass teacher in Long Island. I learned just enough to get by. With no Zoom back then, my audition consisted of me playing my big borrowed bass into a rotary-style telephone. The next day I got a call from Los Angeles to say I was hired. A week later I was rehearsing with the group for their upcoming cross country tour. I didn’t tell anyone that I was new to the instrument but when the other players saw me bandaging my bleeding fingers they began to suspect something was up!.
It was a gutsy decision to leave graduate school, not knowing what was to come. As it turned out, working with a legendary group was a tremendous learning experience. It helped me to become a better performer (and I learned to play the upright bass). I believe that sometimes we all need a little push to go beyond what feels safe, and many times, that push has to come from ourselves. P.S. — I finished my classes a year later and got an A- on my very, very late research paper!
What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?
Be very sure of what you want and, once you are, go after it with everything you’ve got. Just remember to expect the unexpected. If life takes you in another direction it’s okay to explore those options; you may just end up in a better place.
Is there a person that made a profound impact on your life? Can you share a story?
Growing up I had many heroes including old school entertainers like Jack Benny, Jerry Lewis, and Danny Kaye. However, the most valuable lessons I learned were from my parents. Aside from supporting and helping me to pursue my dreams, they instructed me how to be a professional.
My very first audition as a child actor was for a TV commercial. At the agent’s suggestion, we dyed my hair black to have a better shot at getting the part. Mom and I were both new to show business and we were surprised to see the onslaught of kids who were also there to audition. The director took a look at me, smiled and said, “Thank you, you can leave now.” On the way home I had a massive meltdown in the back seat of the car. I was yelling and crying about not being chosen and just wouldn’t stop. That is until my mom said, “If you’re going to act like this I will never take you on an audition again!” She taught me that rejection was part of the business and I had better get used to it.
How are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you’re working on right now?
Having immersed myself in the world of Mister Rogers, I feel compelled to help keep his musical legacy alive. To date, I have recorded two albums celebrating the songs of Fred Rogers. The most recent album, Thank You, Mister Rogers — Music and Memories, features celebrity artists performing new and reimagined versions of Fred’s songs. It’s rewarding to see these tunes reach a whole new generation of Mister Rogers’ fans. I have launched a grassroots campaign to get Mister Rogers inducted into The Songwriters Hall of Fame. We have over two thousand signatures so far and I am hopeful that, as a result of these efforts, the music of this gifted yet unassuming man will be counted among the works of our most celebrated American songwriters.
Can you share with us a story behind why you chose to take up this particular cause?
Through my recordings, I have come to appreciate Mister Rogers and his message of kindness. He is also a talented songwriter who wrote over two hundred songs for his daily PBS show. Fred Rogers’ songs are both lyrically and musically sophisticated and meant for adult ears as well. However, he has not been given the credit he is due because people tend to associate Fred more with his work as a child educator than as a composer.
My inspiration for this cause came from Mrs. Joanne Rogers who passed away last year. She told me that she wished more attention was paid to Fred’s music — and I agree. Music was Fred Rogers’ first love and his songs are part of the soundtrack of our lives. I definitely feel we should honor Mister Rogers for his musical contributions. After all, he’s done so much for us.
Can you share with us a story about a person who was impacted by your cause?
During the making of the albums, I had a chance to interview a number of people whose lives were touched by the words, deeds, and music of Fred Rogers. I was so moved by their stories that I released an audiobook whose title reflects the sentiment of everyone I talked to. Mister Rogers — Now More Than Ever is filled with moving stories told by Fred’s fans. One example is the story of a young girl whose seizures could only be subdued by the soothing music of Mister Rogers. Her parents told me how after she had brain surgery, Mister Rogers came to visit their daughter, even though she was still in a coma — that’s just one story out of many. Everyone I spoke to agreed that getting him into The Songwriters Hall of Fame is just a small way of saying thank you to Fred Rogers.
Are there three things or are there things that individuals, society, or the government can do to support you in this effort?
Mister Rogers has been honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom as well as The Television Academy’s Lifetime Achievement award. But nothing would please him more than to be honored for his music. I encourage people to go to www.ThankYouMisterRogers.com and click on the link to sign our petition to induct Fred into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. At the website, you can also hear samples of how wonderful Fred’s songs sound performed by artists like Kellie Pickler, Vanessa Williams, Lee Greenwood, The Cowsills, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr., Sandi Patty, Jim Brickman, Jon Secada, Rita Wilson, Jaci Velasquez, and Tom Bergeron. You can help keep his music alive by listening to it and sharing it with your favorite radio, TV stations and podcasts. Let them know you’d like to hear these artists singing Fred’s song.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started”
- There’s always a closer parking spot.
- Don’t let the turkeys get you down
- If it ain’t broke, make it better.
- When talking to customer support, always ask to escalate the call.
- If you stay long enough, they’ll agree to what you want — just to make you go away.
You’re a person of enormous influence. If you could start 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
It’s really simple and Mister Rogers has already given us a roadmap. Like he said,
Be kind, be kind, be kind…
Can you please give us your favorite life lesson quote? And can you explain how that was relevant in your life?
There was a plaque that hung in my dad’s study; it included words that he turned to throughout his life. They sounded something like this: “When things seem the darkest and there’s little hope in sight, never give up — because that is the exact moment where the tide will turn.”
These words have stayed with me throughout my life and have helped me to overcome problems and take on challenges that would otherwise seem beyond reach. I have learned not to take “no” for an answer.
We are blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I would love to have five minutes with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr — just to say thank you for the joy and inspiration their music has brought to my life. On a related note, I lead my own Beatles band called The WannaBeatles and several years ago we were nominated for a Grammy award. We heard that Sir Paul was going to be at the awards ceremony and, in the hope of meeting him, we wrote a song called “We Wanna Meet Paul” which has had over 21,000 views on YouTube. We haven’t met him yet and doing so would be a dream come true!
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring, and we wish you continued success!
Thank YOU for this wonderful opportunity.
Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How GRAMMY Winning Music Producer Dennis Scott Is Helping To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.