Ask the Author: Judy Cox, My Family Plays Music
Photo by Andie Petkus Photography
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Judy Cox is the author of more than two dozen books for children including the award-winning, Sheep Won't Sleep: Counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's and The Secret Chicken Society. In addition to being an entertaining writer, Mrs. Cox is also an educator, public speaker and accomplished musician.
In this interview she shares some of her favorite musical genres (hooray for another Big Band fan!) and the sweet story of how My Family Plays Music got its title.
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I read in your bio that you never finished the first chapter of the first book you wrote. What was that book (supposed to be!) about? My first attempt at a book was a mystery about six girls who had a club that met in a treehouse. I started it when I was 11 years old, but never finished!
What is one of your favorite books written by another author?
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
What inspired you to write My Family Plays Music?
I was inspired to write this book by my son. My husband and I played in bands—my husband played lead guitar and I played bass. Our son, Chris, had babysitters on the weekends that we had gigs. When Chris was four, he complained about having to have a sitter and asked me why. I replied, “Because your family plays music”. I was trying to write picture books at that time, so I jotted down the phrase to use as a title.
When he was four, Chris liked to get all the pots and pans out of the kitchen cupboards and bang on them while watching a Gene Krupa video that our drummer had given him! He is the inspiration for the soup kettle page.
Is the rest of your family as musical as the one in your book? My husband played guitar and banjo. Our son plays saxophone, drums, guitar, and is a singer-songwriter. My brother played cornet, French horn, and flute, and is an arranger.
Was the ukulele the first instrument you learned to play? And if not, how did you come to discover it? I had taken piano lessons as a teenager but did not practice enough to get anywhere on it. I sang in church and school choirs. When I met my husband, who played guitar, I wanted to be in his band. They wouldn’t hire me as a backup singer, but they needed a bass player, so I learned to play bass. I played bass guitar in bands for more than 40 years, playing a wide variety of musical genres—jazz, pop, top forty, country, western swing, bluegrass, Celtic, Dixieland, 50’s, and rock and roll.
I learned to play ukulele while researching my children’s book, Ukulele Hayley. Like Hayley, the protagonist, I got completely hooked by the instrument and started a uke club in my town and also taught uke at a local music store.
Do you play any other instruments?
I play bass guitar and bass ukulele (which is tuned like bass guitar).
Who is the banjo-playing half of your duo, “The Dixie Duo?” How long have you been playing together? My husband, Tim Cox, and I played together for 45 years before his death in 2018. We played in many different types of bands together; “The Dixie Duo” was a side project because we loved old time music such as Dixieland and swing.
I love how the book mentions so many different genres of music. What is your favorite genre?My personal favorite is 40’s Big Band Swing because I love the moving bass lines. I also love the music of the great American Songbook composers like Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern.
Which of the percussion instruments mentioned in the book is your favorite?
My favorite percussion is the woodblock.
Who are some of your favorite musicians?
I enjoy the music of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald.
What, if anything, can you tell us about your next writing project?
I am working on a picture book about birds. Birdwatching is another of my passions.
Lastly, we know where to go to find your books but where can people find your music?
I never recorded music except for family members to enjoy. A few home videos can be found at Judy Cox Books YouTube Channel.
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Thank you, Mrs. Cox for sharing your thoughts (and your writing!)
with the Music Library Community! We’ll be on the lookout for your new book!
To learn more about Judy Cox, visit www.JudyCox.net.
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