Naps & Keeping Your Cool: 10 Ways Working With Kids Prepares You For A Career In Music

Having just kicked off the Suds Australian tour, RAAVE TAPES frontman Joab Eastley, who also works in a childcare centre, has learnt a thing a two from the little ones that have more than prepared him for a career in music. 

Here are Joab's top ten lessons.

1. the moment you legitimately lose your temper, you've lost the battle

Remaining cool, calm and collected in moments of utter chaos is super important in the classroom. It is integral to separate yourself from your emotions when trying to negotiate with children who are on the brink of complete meltdown. The kids feed off your demeanour. Your tone of voice and choice of words are everything. I’ve seen some absolutely wonderful venue managers and security staff in action who would make wonderful pre-school teachers. I’ve also seen a few that would get eaten alive. At the end of the day, dealing with a four year old who’s late to nap time and a 24 year old who’s had one too many vodka Red Bulls is almost the exact same scenario. Tread very carefully. They may bite.

2. always go out of your way to be nice to your office staff

You never know when you’re going to need a new packet of glue sticks and they hold the keys to the stationary kingdom. Same rule applies for door staff, bar staff and glassies. If your rider runs out prematurely – their assistance can make all the difference in getting your fridge re-stocked with another carton of cool, crisp Young Henrys Newtowner Pale Ale (thanks for the tour sponno YH xoxo).

3. The Early Years Learning Framework is pretty much a safe spaces policy

The EYLF is one of the main policy documents we deal with in Early Childhood Education. Rather than dictate exactly how to teach, it outlines the learning environment that educators in Australia should shape around the children. Replace the word ‘children’ with ‘punters’ and this document could be displayed on the wall of every venue in the damned country. Here are some of the most applicable points, and I quote:

• Punters feel safe, secure and supported
• Punters learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect
• Punters develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation
• Punters respond to diversity with respect

If my four year olds can grasp these concepts, then surely there is hope for the general gig-attending public?

4. you are never too old for bubbles

In November last year I hopped onto eBay and spent $59.90 (plus postage and handling) on an industrial bubble machine. It arrived at school five-seven business days later with a complimentary five litre bottle of professional bubble mixture (the cheap stuff from Hot Dollar works just as well for those playing at home). I quietly located a power point in the corner of the playground, turned on the machine and took a step back. As the entire yard began filling with a sea of translucent balls of wonder, the children absolutely flipped their shit. I’m talking 16-year-old-screaming-in-the-front-row-of-Beatles-concert-in -1963 levels of flipping their shit. It was bubblemania. Two days later, at roughly 11.15pm, I gave our manager Ben Cooper a nod. As we took to the stage, the lights dimmed at The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle. Coops quietly wandered over to the power point side of stage and flicked on the machine. A sea of bubbles cascaded into the audience, transfixing the crowd in a state of childlike wonder. Case in point - bubbles are timeless. Plus I get to write that thing off on tax YEET.

5. A little nap goes a long way

In the toddlers room, every child gets the option of a nap after lunch. Some fight it. They complain they’re not tired, they spit the proverbial dummy, they refuse to go to bed. CHERISH THIS MOMENT CHILDREN. In 20 years you’re going to look back on these blessed days and beg for a lay down in the middle of your eight-to-ten-hour day. As a touring musician, one of the most valuable skills to acquire is the ability to nap in wherever you god damned can. On the plane, in the car, backstage – every minute counts. Last time we played in Perth, our bass player Lindsay managed to get a cool three hours rest in the green room after the show… while the after party raged on around her. Impressive nap skills 11/10.

6. communication is key

It is so damned important for all educators to constantly discuss their meaningful interactions with children with other staff. This ensures consistency in teaching methods and behaviour management strategies. Same goes with a venue, it’s so damned important to open that line of communication between the band, venue management and security. Have a chat about what you expect from your crowd, what to encourage and what you won’t tolerate. This way everybody is on the same page going into the big rock show and we’re all looking out for one another.

7. eating is not cheating

If a baby doesn’t get their bottle according to routine, they will lose their shit. If a toddler is late to lunch, the chances of full blown meltdown tantrum increase by 90% (citation needed.) Similarly, if you don’t eat before a big night out, you’ll be in the same boat. Please line your stomach before indulging in a frosty glass of suds with your compadres and heading to the rock show. A falafel kebab on the way home is also highly recommended by 9/10 of Australia’s top actual real medical doctors (citation also needed).

8. Challenging behaviour usually has a source

In children, whether it be their upbringing, a medical condition, trauma, living conditions, lack of education or simply that they skipped breakfast that day – there is usually an explanation. If we can determine what is causing the behaviour, we can put strategies in place to help the child. From our experiences, a lack of education surrounding gig etiquette seems to be one of the main sources of disharmony at shows. People simply don’t understand how much of an impact their actions are having on others. To combat this, early on in our sets we ask the crowd to turn to the person next to them and ask if they’re having a nice time. We then encourage them to try and keep it that way and remind everybody to have the best time – just not at the expense of anybody else. It’s pretty rudimentary, but it’s a great way to set the tone and let the crowd know what’s expected of them. After our show at the North Gong Hotel in Wollongong a few months back, each security guard actually thanked us post show for our efforts. It was so damned lovely.

9. sugar hits kids hard

It impacts them all in different ways depending on their tolerance levels, BMI, metabolism, etc. We have healthy eating guidelines at school to ensure the kids aren’t loading themselves up with go-go juice and making all of our lives hard. While these kids need guidance as to what to put into their bodies, you punters are big grown-ups who can make your own choices. Know your limitations. Don’t overdo it and become the person at the rock show making everybody’s life hard.

10. everybody loves the classics

One of the most effective methods of calming a group of rowdy pre-schoolers is to sit them down on the mat and lean on the classics. I’m talking Twinkle Twinkle, Open Shut Them, Old MacDonald – certified bangers. This technique proved to be super effective when we shut down The Argyle House in Newcastle last year for a RAAVE TAPES mini-fest. After huge sets from the likes of Good Boy, Kwame and Mezko, the crowd were feverish by the time we took to the stage. Argyle is traditionally a nightclub and was definitely not designed for a big dog rock show. After encouraging the crowd to look after each other on several occasions throughout the set, things became pretty dire during our last song when the barrier began to give way under the stress of the bulging crowd. I could see the distress on the faces of the people in the front row. As part of the barrier flexed and knocked a photographer to the ground, we cut the music. I immediately asked everybody to take a seat on the floor and explained the situation. I turned off my fuzz pedals, took a deep breath and once again leaned on the classics. I performed a solo rendition of Paul Kelly’s How To Make Gravy while my bandmates joined the crowd. It was either that or Incy Wincy Spider, so all in all great outcome.

RAAVE Tapes' tour continues in Fitzroy tomorrow night; for a look at all of the dates, click on theGuide.