Teeny Tiny Stevies Respond To Backlash Surrounding Childrens' Music

Australian ARIA award-winning songwriters Byll and Beth Stephen, aka Teeny Tiny Stevies, have responded to a brutal tweet levelled at children’s music.

On Wednesday (17 May), Canadian electropop musician Grimes made the following statement: “People who don't have kids don't realize [sic] the insidious artistic scourge that is "childrens music". How can we heal as a society when everyone's earliest artistic experience is completely devoid of humanity or beauty? Half joking but kinda not”.

A screenshot of the said tweet was sent to Teeny Tiny Stevies, a beloved children’s music group. Taking to Instagram stories this week, Beth said, “Someone tagged us in that post and I’m so glad they did because I wouldn’t have seen it.

“It’s an interesting thing to say because I’ve felt that before myself,” she admitted. Beth went on to say that she was not offended by that thought and had genuinely been there before. However, that’s one of the reasons why Teeny Tiny Stevies exists.

She added, “That’s not to say that there hasn’t always been great kids' content out there. It’s been fascinating noticing my thoughts on this because what I’ve come to is – what that post has made me think about – some of the songs that we have created, that we have written because of Teeny Tiny Stevies, are some of the most fulfilling and amazing experiences I’ve had as a songwriter.

“I guess speaking directly to children and their parents via song, whether it be Boss Of My Own Body or Had You To Teach Me, Sleep Through The Night, Boy Or Girl Colour, Imagination… It feels important and like it’s having a real-life impact.”

Beth continued, “It feels good to be useful, and I’m not sure I’ve loved other songs we’ve written outside of Teeny Tiny Stevies, but I’m not sure that any have had quite the impact that these have on the people hearing them and on us.

“Not to take ourselves too seriously, of course, but we do take it very seriously. Not ourselves too seriously, but we take our job very seriously because… what a responsibility.

“But with big responsibility comes a certain level of purpose, and I’ve got kids' music to thank for that, and also Grimes for making me realise [that].”

Teeny Tiny Stevies feature on the new Play School album, Show Time Season 4. You can listen to the album here.