About
Mr Hemis is a children's singer for hire in Brisbane, QLD.
Forty-five years as a chef, five of them cooking in childcare, and that's where the ukulele came in. Singing and dancing with the children turned into learning an instrument, and Mr Hemi now performs cultural music for early childhood centres and family events around Brisbane. The format is three songs in a loop, then a slow-down and a chat, then three more, unless the room is really going, in which case he just rolls with it. Kids get to hold the ukulele, strum it, drum on it and hunt for the batteries. "Big Red Car", "Hush a Bear", "Inanay Gupuana" and "Taba Naba" are in the mix, and he's happiest when the parents are acting the songs out too. Blue Card held. Fifteen to thirty minutes is usually the attention span, and he plans for it.
Watch
The show
Three songs in a row, then he slows it down and has a chat with the children, then three more. The chats are half the fun, because they always want to tell a story. If the room is really going, he just keeps rolling with them. Every child gets time with the ukulele, to strum it, drum on it and hunt for the on/off button and the batteries. Expect questions about him too, usually personal ones delivered with total honesty. What he likes best is when mums and dads act the songs out along with the kids. Bring a camera on a stand if you can, because most of the good moments happen off to the side.
On the day
Nothing needed. It's one man and a ukulele, so there's no rig to set up, no power run and no waiting around.
Performance options
Fifteen to thirty minutes is about the length of a small child's attention, and the set is planned around that rather than stretching past it.
Song list
Big Red Car - The Wiggles
Hush a Bear
Inanay Gupu Wanna
Taba Naba