Judy & David: Articles and Reviews

Colour, fun and music create ambiance for these children's entertainers.

_______________

 

 

THE JUNO AWARD IS

IMPORTANT, BUT THE

BABY GRAND PIANO IS A

FOCAL POINT IN THEIR

KID-INSPIRED HOME

 

STORY BY JENNIFER BROWN

PHOTOS BY CELIA BRONKHORST

 

When it comes to decorating, Juno Awarding-winning children's entertainers Judy and David take a cue from their life's work.

Colourful, fun and musically influenced, the decor of the couple's Richmond Hill home says much about their personality and their lifestyle.

Serving also as the location of their home office and recording studio, the two-storey home is, at the same time, practical.

"We said to ourselves, are we allowed to have bright, fun furniture and walls in kid colours? We decided we could," said David, relaxing on an apricot-hued sofa in the couple's living room.

That concept also works well when you have an active 22-month-old son in the house.

"We got rid of the dining room table and replaced it with Jared's playroom. The pine cupboards store his toys and keep things organized," said David.

Jared enjoys a portion of the living room, which means his parents can keep a watchful eye on him from either the kitchen or while they're playing the piano.

Using Santa Fe-influenced colours, the couple incorporated mustard yellow, cactus and terra cotta shades throughout the home. Judy used an antiqued floral wallpaper border in the entryway and carried the look through to the kitchen by cutting out flowers from the border and trailing them along the wall leading into the bright, all-white kitchen.

A ragging technique was used in the living room to give the deep yellow a soft look.

Musical touches can be found in the living room, where acoustic guitars are artistically displayed on the wall and where the couple's treasured 40-year-old, second-hand Steinway baby grand figures prominently.

"It was very heavily out of tune and in bad shape when we found it, but it had that Steinway sweetness," recalls David.

The piano had already been promised to a dealer when Judy and David arrived to look at it, but the couple wasn't ready to give up.

"I whispered to Judy that she should play it for the owner and, by the end of the song, the woman had tears in her eyes," he said.

Now it has become the focal point of the home.

"I do love my piano," said Judy, as she sat down to play a song.

When they bought the home seven years ago, it was a leap of faith for the couple, both tried and true city dwellers. David, originally from Chicago, was calling Forest Hill home at the time, while Judy had grown up in North York.

"In a million years, we never imagined ourselves living north of Lawrence. Now that I'm here I want to go even further north," he said.

They wanted a place to escape from the rigours of the road and constant traveling to shows.

Now the home has become their refuge.

"We're on the road just about every weekend and for us to really take a break means we choose to be home relaxing," said David.

The room where the family most often relaxes and entertains is the upstairs family room, where a sectional sofa, fireplace and large screen TV provide all the comforts the trio desires. Family photos and pictures from the couple's entertainment career adorn the walls and greet visitors as they climb the staircase to the second floor.

The couple launched their children's act in 1993 and, in a short time, have released six albums, including the best-selling My Little Yellow Bus and My Little Red Fire Truck series. At last count, five million Judy and David cassettes have been sold around the world.

Livin' In a Shoe, their newest release, won them a 1998 Juno Award for Best Children's Recording and the Parents' Choice Gold Award of Excellence.

However, even when they are home, work follows. The couple now has an agent based in Winnipeg, but David still spends most of his day in the home office dealing with bookings and new projects. A self-confessed computer nerd, David created the dynamic duo's web site -- JudyandDavid.com --which provides everything you need to know about their work, including music clips.

"It's hard to get away from the office when it's in your home, but I wouldn't change it for the world because working out of the house I get to see Jared every single day -- I'm not missing him growing up," he said.

The work-at-home concept is also best for Judy, who treasures the time she shares with her son and husband together.

"When I first thought about doing this as a career, I thought not only could I be home with Jared, but so could his father. We now end up doing a lot of recording late at night when Jared is in bed, but at least we're home when it's done," said Judy.

The pair has also been able to bring their recording work home with them, thanks to advancements in technology. One of the bed rooms has been converted into a recording studio and it's a short commute from the master bedroom.

"We used to record in Mississauga and we wouldn't get home until four in the morning. Now it's very cost effective for us to do it here," said David.

As the business grows, the couple plans to expand the studio into the unfinished basement.

That will probably become a necessity sooner rather than later as Judy and David enter the final stages of planning their first national children's television show which they hope will air in the fall of 1999.

Already the couple have had a concert special on the Family Channel and have been regulars on Treehouse TV's Ants in Your Pants and YTV and TVO.