Viral Daddy/Daughter Duo’s Album Is Father’s Day Joy
Chatting with Grammy-nominated artist Fyütch and his 7-year-old daughter, Aura V
As parents who teach about antiracism, equity, joy and justice, we are always on the lookout for different modalities that can help us instill these lessons into our family’s everyday lives. We love music as a pathway to deeper engagement because we can put it on at home and just let the kids vibe to it. When we discover vibrant, powerful music that uplifts and teaches our little ones while adding a robust kick of joy and fun, it’s a definite win for all. We’re about to introduce you to one of our favorite kid musician duos who make music for us justice-minded families.
Enter the social justice-infused, joyful kids music of Grammy-nominated artist Fyütch and his 7-year-old daughter, Aura V.
We first saw Fyütch perform at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and were completely taken with his ability to seamlessly merge catchy music with little doses of lessons on love, community, equity and peace for kids. It remains a very special gift to infuse these lessons into music in such a effortless manner so we were so excited to get the chance to chat with them about their brand new album, Harmony.
Fyütch is an artist and educator who has performed with his daughter Aura V at prestigious venues like Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. This new album, Harmony, began as a family bonding project and turned into a powerful collaboration filled with hip-hop, soul, and pop celebrating self-love, friendship, and community. Their title track, “Harmony,” was named one of Spotify’s Best Kids Songs of 2024 and took home 1st Place in the American Songwriter Contest (Children’s Category), along with Finalist honors from the International Songwriting Competition and The John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
We chatted with Fyütch and Aura V about their new album, what started this collaboration, Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, Father’s Day and what happens when Aura V, well, just doesn’t feel like making music with her dad.
Raising Antiracist Kids: Aura V, what inspires you to make music?
Aura V: My dad has inspired me. He’s been making music for so long. I listen to it and I went like “that’s it.” I’m doing it so now I’ve conquered my dreams and now I can make music, too, and we already made a whole album all because of that.
Aura V: And also, I went to this show where there was a violin player, a viola and cello and they were playing Taylor Swift songs and that inspired me to play violin. I’ve been playing for 2 years now.
RAK: What's it like making music with your dad, Aura V?
Aura V: It’s like it’s hard to explain. It’s fun that we get to go on vacation sometimes and we get to perform and we get a lot of money from that and it’s a lot.
RAK: What's your favorite part about this work?
Aura V: That we get to go places that I’ve never been before and we get to perform there like Brooklyn Children’s Museum. They gave us really good food.
RAK: Fyütch, how did you start making music with your daughter, Aura V?
Fyütch: During the pandemic she was at home with me while I taught virtual classes during the day and recorded music in the evening. Eventually she started asking to record on the mic and play with the beat machine. I’m sure it looked like toys to her haha. So we started experimenting. In 2021 she recorded an acapella skit on my Family Tree album at age 3. For the next few years, we kept recording for fun while her pitch and diction improved. Soon, she was recording whole verses and helping produce beats.
TAK: What's the biggest celebration you experience from this daddy/daughter collab?
Fyütch: Put simply, I’m blessed that we can bond over music. It’s my passion and my work. I found a way to parent while we create. When I want to model a key concept, like self-love or empathy, we can write a song together about it, and now we get to travel and perform it together. Making core memories while teaching her about confidence, responsibility but also enjoying what you do.
RAK: Talk about the making of this album. What was your inspiration? What is the process like with a child?
Fyütch: We took our time. I had to slow down and be patient. First I had to wait for her voice to mature. We started recording this album when she was 5. She’s about to be 8 now. At first she could only repeat after me, short words one at a time. Now she can sing a full verse in one take. Next, I like to wait until she’s in the mood to create to wait for time to record. I want music to remain fun for her and not become a chore. So we took lots and lots of breaks. And some days we just had to pivot.
As far as inspiration, Stevie Wonder is my forever favorite. Musically I wanted to make complex chords and concepts feel simple. That’s the Stevie way.
RAK: We talk about how social justice work with kids begins and ends with love. Love for community, love for peace, love for everyone. Tell us about the connection between your music and social justice for kids.
Fyütch: I was a teaching artist for 15 years after college. Thankfully the organizations I worked with, like Dreamyard, taught social justice through the arts. My mentors taught me how to create curriculum that explored marginalized experiences through the artists that lived it. Really, that’s the mission of hip hop music and culture in a nutshell. Once I combined my love for hip hop and teaching, I started making songs with my K-12 students in mind, songs about Black and Indigenous history, culture, and more. It really resonated with educators and parents, and that’s what has allowed me to do this work full-time, from a place of truth and authenticity.
RAK: Let's talk about the challenges of making an album with a child. Have you ever had a deadline and Aura V was like "nope! Not today!"?
Fyütch: Absolutely! Take the album photo shoot for example. I rented the Bridge Studios in Williamsburg. Got custom matching outfits. Booked my photographer Sam Popp. Big budget important day. Lots of moving pieces. Aura was in her SILLIEST mood. And she just couldn’t shake it. She was barely following pose directions, making funny faces during our attempts at serious portraits. Asking for snacks every couple minutes. We only had the space for 3 hours. It’s so hard to be in Dad mode while trying to look my best during a photo shoot. I had to walk that line of being firm but not mean. After all, she’s 7. She doesn’t really care about a press shoot. And she was having fun. I didn’t want her to lose that joy. So we persisted, got the best shots we could, and the photos came out stunning.
TAK: June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month AND it's also the month of Father's Day. What do you think is important for Black dads to do to support their mental health while juggling all of society's pressures, expectations, racism, white supremacy, etc?
Fyütch: Community is everything. Being in community with other Black Fathers is empowering. I attended an event in the Bronx with The Dad Gang ("an organization committed to building community amongst Black fathers globally, creating a safe space for Black men to find camaraderie and support"). Whether it's neighborhood dads, or dads from church, my daughter's PTA, and in my music community, we make sure to check-in, prioritize hangs and even converse about current events. I really need to find another therapist. I had a great therapist for years that isn't licensed in my new area. But I remember how important those conversations were to manage relationships, trauma, and parenting. Also, good ole exercise and endorphins, eating whole foods and getting good sleep will always reign supreme.
TAK: Yes, to all of this! Has making music with your daughter played a role in your mental health?
Fyütch: Absolutely. Our generation is different from my parents’. And I'm blessed in my career to "take her to work with me" frequently. We turn concert tours into paid family vacations, and she reminds me to take breaks. When she needs a break, it reminds me to do the same. Writing music with her about self-love and gratitude, keeps it in the forefront of my mind. I was listening to our album one day, about to cry like wow, I needed to hear these words, too.
Listen to Fyütch and Aura V’s new album, Harmony, with your kids. Find out more about them here. Remember that social justice for kids includes using practices they already love and enjoy. If it’s art, use art. If it’s music, use music. The goal is the ongoing lessons of community, justice and equity.
That’s it from us for today. Ground yourself with some music this weekend. Take good care, okay?
Tabitha & Adam