This site is kept in loving memory of Trish Reske, who passed in October of 2021.
Trish was a writer - this site captures a bit of her incredible sense of humor.
You can read Trish's full obituary here.

What We Can Be

"Well you know as long as you can dream, you can do it. Always learning, always growing, there's no end to what we're knowing Wait till you see the places that we're going." - from the song, "What We Can Be" PBS Music Time with SteveSongs

"Well you know as long as you can dream, you can do it. Always learning, always growing, there's no end to what we're knowing Wait till you see the places that we're going." - from the song, "What We Can Be" PBS Music Time with SteveSongs

Steve Roslonek of SteveSongs, talks about co-hosting at PBS and becoming a dad, offering insight to parents of talented kids.

Published in baystateparent Magazine

Ten years ago, Steve Roslonek didn’t know the places he’d be going in his music career. He just knew that he loved kids and loved music.

After writing some songs for his brother’s first grade class and receiving a positive response from kids and parents, Steve knew he was onto something.

“It was a pretty immediate click for me. It was very, very fun to do,” he recalls. Steve started the band, SteveSongs, in the Boston area. Today Steve performs his award-winning children’s music with his talented band members and young back-up singers, “The Sillies,” for audiences across the country, and has released four CDs and a new DVD, “The Marvelous Music Adventures.”

Steve’s career took a rocket zoom in 2008, when he landed the role of morning PBS Kids co- host “Mr. Steve.”

“Working with PBS, I feel like it’s a super fit with my philosophy,” says Steve. He believes the best teaching begins with capturing kids’ imaginations, in this case, through music.

In the past year, PBS has launched SteveSongs into national exposure with performances all around the country in front of thousands of kids. SteveSongs blends their unique brand of witty, silly, catchy lyrics and musically complex songs that the entire family can enjoy.

“The music is multi-layered, so it’s interesting to listen to,” says Steve, “It’s the music we like and in the end, it’s music that can help bring families together.”

SteveSongs has performed at the Annual White House Easter Egg Hunt, Disneyland, Wolf Trap Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods and Life is Good Festivals in Toronto and Boston, as well as countless regional venues.

“To go somewhere and have hundreds of kids show up and know the songs… it feels surreal. It’s great!” says Steve.

In fact, it’s the most rewarding part of his job.

“Communicating with the audience,” says Steve. “That simple truth: that the audience is the reason that you are there. And that you can do so much more than just sing to them.”

Local Sillies

Steve with the Sillies

Steve with the Sillies

An integral part of SteveSongs are the Massachusetts-based “The Sensational Sillies” who sing back-up harmony both in the recording studio and onstage, and lead audiences in motion and dance. The two core Sensational Sillies, sisters Mariel (14) and Linnea (11) Ross of Littleton, MA, were actually auditioning for a local summer musical when Steve arrived and selected the sisters out of 70 children. The girls have been performing with Steve and his band since 2005.

“I love having the kids as part of the show,” says Steve. “In the same way that I’ve been lucky to have talented musicians for the band, having the talented Sillies along for the ride has been awesome.”

SteveSongs has become an entire family affair for the Ross family. Older sister Anya (17) and younger brother Micah (7) attend many events, and parents Diane and Ted Ross are involved in SteveSongs as well.

“It’s great. It really is a family thing for us. Ted is onstage sometimes (playing the keyboard), and Anya and Micah and I help sell CDs and T-shirts. It works out great,” says Diane.

“My favorite part is being with the band,” says Mariel. “They’re so funny. It’s just so fun to be with them.”

“And Steve’s just ‘Steve.’ That’s just how we look at him,” says Linnea. “He’s sort of like a teacher, teaching us about music, and how to do improv onstage. But he’s also really fun and really nice to us.”

Performing can be challenging too for the Ross girls. “It’s a ton of hard work. For the harmonies and everything. You have to be willing to take direction from Steve and make changes,” says Linnea.

“When we are doing multiple concerts in a day it’s hard,” says Anya. “It drains all the energy out of you.” “And you have to be smiling the whole time, so your jaws get sore,” adds Linea.

Yet both girls agree that they love being Sillies.

Steve is most impressed with how nice the girls are. “They’re older than most of the kids in the audience, but they’re not condescending. They are a nice link between the kids in the audience and the band onstage. They are totally professional. They do what you ask them, but they are totally kids at the same time. They’ve had some cool experiences, but they take it all in stride.”

That’s key for kids interested in a career in the performing arts, he stresses.

“It’s important to remind parents of young actors and singers that if they enjoy it, that’s great, but try and keep things in perspective. In the end, your kid could be the most famous person in the world, but if they’re not happy with the journey, then when they get to the end of what they ‘think’ the journey is, they’re not going to be any happier.”

“Fame by itself is an empty goal. It’s not grounded. Appreciating the things that really have value to you and your kids is what’s important,” he says.

As the Sillies’ mom, Diane Ross agrees. “‘It’s very easy to get caught up in feeling like maybe you should be doing more, more auditions, more shows. But then you have to take a step back and ask ‘Why?’ What would you sacrifice to do that and is it worth it? What’s the end result? How far do you want to go with it? How much do you want to change your life? That’s why SteveSongs works for us. It’s a family thing for us. They’ve grown so much through this. And Steve understands about balance.”

For Steve and his wife Lori, their new baby has brought the balance challenge into their own life this past year.

“It’s the main challenge we currently have,” says Steve. “You want to spend quality time with your family. SteveSongs is my baby too, but it’s incredibly important to find balance, like it is for everybody, but it’s tricky [as a performer] when you don’t know you’re going to be home a certain time, or where you’re going to be.”

“Lori makes it possible for me to continue my career. She’s with our son all the other time. It’s awesome having her as an advocate. It’s good to have a teammate,” he says.

“I am utterly surprised, because I see functioning parents all the times, and I’m amazed. It’s absolutely the most important and the best thing we’ve ever done, (having a child) but it’s also the most consuming,” he adds.

As new parents, Steve says he and other band members, “always took the music seriously, but now it’s a different vibe – it gives more inspiration,” he says.

His biggest advice to young talented stars?

Don’t just dream about what you can be, but actively pursue your dreams.

“You need to figure out how to get from A to B,” he says. “Explore that for yourself. Make a plan. Maybe it’s joining community theatre. The path will be different for different people.”

“Dedicate yourself not only by working hard, but by working smart. Change the statement of saying ‘I want to be this’ to “How do I do this?”

And enjoy the marvelous adventure. For more information on SteveSongs, visit stevesongs.com.

Trish Reske is a seasoned copywriter/creative director, awardwinning journalist, avid runner and mom of four living in Westborough. Visit her web site at trishreske.com. Her children’s all-time favorite SteveSongs is “Opposite Day.”

About the Author

Leave a Reply