I got to be part of the children’s choir on an album by this singing songbook. Before it changed, my voice was as smooth and clean as soap. I got to meet the guy, Phil Chambers, who played the singing songbook. He appeared dressed as the book. He stayed in character for the duration of the recording session. His face painted white, the bright blue bookcovers closed, the pages packed in behind him. I found it strange that he would stay in costume and made up during a recording session.
He was an auteur of Evangelical children’s entertainment. The word “entertainment” on its own fails, because cultural artifacts made for evangelical children must always be overtly instructive. Mr. Chambers wrote the music and the stories, recorded them, performed them, designed costumes and sets for videos and photo-shoots, and most other things. I read the liner notes of the albums and marveled. I had questions. I had my own plan for creating media.
A Fruit Salad of Harm 