How else can one describe musician Bobby McFerrin – the one who conducted the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, gathered twelve singers for a series of circlesongs, sang a whimsical melody to go with a Pixar short film?

Then again, I would imagine the reader to possibly be like many others who want to start at Square Known: Don’t Worry, Be Happy.

It is amusing how a ‘throwaway song’ can become a runaway hit and a ‘signature piece’ to a singer who does so much more! Granted, it was how I managed to get away with introducing this musician to my students, before trading that one song for the Pixar piece, then his songs recorded with Chick Corea and Yo-Yo Ma.

Hush was how I discovered Bobby’s brilliance. Browsing down the music collection, I decided to grab a recording at random, this audiophile’s equivalent to grabbing a book based on the cover. Then, there seemed to be fewer ‘scarier things’ on the shelves and I could discover many different artists that way. Up to that point, I hadn’t known of Yo-Yo Ma, either.

Hush was released four years after Don’t Worry, Be Happy’s popularity. Meant to be a children’s album, this child at heart enjoyed the goofiness of Hoedown and The Flight of the Bumblebee. The comical opening to Bach’s Musette is cute and you get a sense of the enjoyment and playfulness both men had in putting this recording together.

Involvement is what separates McFerrin from other performers. During a show at the Benaroya Hall, he called out for a child volunteer. Every able child stormed the stage, including a hesitant toddler whose run-stop-step-stop was priceless from our vantage point in the aisle. Equally priceless was Bobby’s wide-eyed expression to a stage filled with children – with joyful surprise. The two locked looks before Bobby gave a big grin and a wave of an arm to ‘come on up.’ How that child ran!

Bobby stood in the midst of the children and gave them a soft-spoken instruction: create whatever music you wish. Taking the tiny corner of the stage remaining, Bobby saw fit to keep the adults occupied and before we realized it, we were singing the song from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. A few singalongs later and the young composers were ready for their turn. Definitely music to one’s ears.

There are over fifteen recordings Bobby McFerrin has done, all of them enjoyable and different (and yes, I will admit to owning them all.) Daring me to select my favorite McFerrin recording is equivalent to asking me to select one Gregory Peck or Jimmy Stewart film – impossible. Medicine Music soothes the soul, Paper Music has you sitting in the middle of a chamber orchestra at its finest, and Mouth Music is an assortment of jazz, classical and so much more in between.

In terms of concert attendance, there would have to be a very compelling reason to find the money for the cost of a ticket. That has never been the case with Bobby. There have only been a couple of missed opportunities, but whenever Bobby’s in town, it is definitely worth the treat!