FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) About Rob:
Q: Are you as happy in real life as you are onstage?
A: Most of the time. God created me with a happy heart, but I still get grumpy and frustrated once in a while, like everyone else.
Q: How did you learn to sing?
A: Singing along with the radio as a child. When you turn the radio off and start singing by yourself, though - that's when you can tell if you're any good. (Except for all those "American Idol" contestants who aren't very good but they don't realize it!)
Q: How do you write your songs?
A: I walk around with a mini tape-recorder and start singing things about Jesus, and I record the ideas. I've written songs at church, in my neighborhood, in the shower, and on the tram at Disneyland.
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Chicken Teriyaki and Round Table Pizza (thick crust - pepperoni and bell peppers with extra sauce).
Q: What were your favorite school subjects?
A: English
Q: What don't we know about you?
A: I was shy as a young boy. I only felt truly confident on the pitcher's mound in baseball. I started to become more confident and outgoing in high school. Then, after I became a Christian, I started to become REALLY confident, because I knew God was leading me to do the things I was doing!
Here's the Story...
- Born in
Hollywood, California (really! - Sunset Blvd.)
- Raised near the Los Angeles International Airport
- Good parents (married 43 years and goin' strong!)
- Lots of baseball and play with big brother Mike
- little brother Kevin was born when he was 10
- first went to church at age 15
- first trusted Christ as Savior at age 19
- also played in first "garage band" at age 19
- liked the pop group Duran Duran and jazz/pop artist Al Jarreau
- played in bands through college (Cal State University - Long Beach)
- graduated college and got a "real" job in Los Angeles (necktie and everything!)
- worked various sales jobs and volunteered at my local church on the "Big Church" Vocal Teams
- was selling baking flour in 1998 when an Executive Pastor (who was watching Rob do an improv music performance for some children in Kiev, Ukraine) asked, "What is Rob Biagi doing selling flour?!?"
Rob kept serving at his local church in Irvine, CA both as a volunteer (in the adult Worship Choir) and on full-time staff (in Children's Ministry) until 2003. At the end, Rob was leading worship for K-6th grade kids 45-50 weeks a year. It was amazing for Rob to be a part of such a successful (blessed) mega-church ministry. God gave him an amazing opportunity there.
In May of 2003 (05/04/03 to be exact), Rob released his first solo CD, "You're a V.I.P. to G-O-D". It has 13 songs on it that Rob wrote for kids and families to enjoy - TOGETHER. He's proud of it. It's been selling well on the Internet and at concert sites. It's in dozens of big-church bookstores in California, Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
In May of 2005, (05/05/05 to be exact), Rob released his SECOND CD, "GET OUT THERE!" The response to the 2nd CD has been very positive, and kids around the world (including Rome, Italy now!) are rockin' out to "I'm Followin' Jesus," "Cool Guys, Groovy Girls," "Before I Go, I Stop," and "On We Go (We Are Wild About God!)" to name a few...
In December of 2007, Rob released his first live concert DVD. "ROB BIAGI LIVE - the family concert!" is a great work, with 7 of Rob's favorite songs from his "V.I.P. to G-O-D" project, and 7 of his favorites from "GET OUT THERE!" It's lots of fun to hear the Band and see the audience singing, dancing, and worshipping with Rob and his family!
Questions
for Rob:
Q: Rob, you're a professional Christian singer and worship leader. Why do you do Children's Music CDs?
Rob says: First of all, I don't think they are "Children's Music CDs". As a family man, I was always searching for music my family and I could listen to all together. My kids love Newsboys, Steven Curtis Chapman, and some adult worship choruses, but those songs aren't designed for kids. And most of the music that is designed for kids does not ROCK and PUMP hard enough for elementary kids...
So I decided to make CDs for everyone: biblical truths and funny stuff (to entertain and educate the kids), great musicians (so the parents could tolerate hearing it over and over!), and good songs (thank you, God!). Someone once told me my CDs are like Pixar/Disney movies - clever and entertaining for kids, but action-packed and high-quality enough for adults. THAT is about the best compliment a family-music artist could get!
But I also wanted a "family-building" ministry, where we could go out beyond our home church and bring my music to other families. So - Kathleen made up the choreography, and she and 2 of my kids (Matt and Juli) join me onstage some of the time.
Q: What are your concerts like?
Rob says: They are lots of FUN, of course, but they are extra-special because I get to tell kids that God made them, He loves them, and He has a special plan for their lives! God's children need to know that He "delights over them" (Zephaniah 3:17) and that He will guide our choices and our lives if we ask Him to. I also have a great time trying to get the parents in the audience singing and doing the motions, too! Oh yeah, and everybody gets to holler and "make a joyful noise", and the Dads in the audience get a chance to come up onstage with their kids and say "UNGH!"
Q: What do you do all day?
Rob says: We have an office where my wife Kathleen, our friend Loisa, I work booking concerts and doing the "business" of running a ministry: We talk to nice people at churches and schools about their children's music program. If they want new music and new moves and a BLAST of joy for their kids, they can buy my music, choreography, or Children's Worship Leader stuff, or even schedule a LIVE concert! Then my family and I get to go to their city or state and "hoot and holler" (praising Jesus) with them!
I pray a lot for the Lord to guide me and protect me and my family as we serve Him every way we can.
At the office, we ship orders for CDs, t-shirts, and children's worship leader training materials, and then I drive or fly to churches and schools to sing and play my music. It's so fun to travel around the country and meet EXCITED kids and parents, wherever we go!
Lately I've been writing songs for my 3rd music CD, and I also perform and teach workshops for grown-up Children's Pastors and children's worship teams. (Fun Factoid #1: Over 3,500 churches across the country are currently using my songs and worship leader training materials to strengthen their praise and worship programs! That's so amazing to me!)
I found out that lots of kids have my CD in their boomboxes, and they wake up listening to my songs. What an honor!
I live in Southern California with my wife Kathleen and our three kids, Matt (age 17), Juli (age 10), and Natalie (age 3).
Kids Ask...
- What's your favorite candy? - Lemonhead
- What's your favorite healthy food? - Pippin apples
- What's your favorite Christian song? - Steven Curtis Chapman "Live Out Loud" (I think it fits my personality)
- What's your favorite non-Christian song? - Al Jarreau "Mornin'" (it fits my personality)
- What's your favorite Bible verse? - Acts 20:24 "But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus, the work of telling others about God's wonderful kindness and love." (it's my "life verse")
- What's your favorite thing(s) to do when you're not singing? - I like to be with my wife; she's really funny and laughs at my jokes. I like playing baseball catch with my son, and jumping on our trampoline with my daughters.
- Is your personality the same at home as it is when you're on stage singing? Mostly - God did make me a very joyful person, but I'm just like everyone else...I get grumpy and frustrated and say angry things sometimes, too...
What are you going to do next, Rob?
I want to make a CD of new songs. I also want lots more people to hear my music, so I'm trying to find partners to help me "get the word out" about my music and ministry!
Also, I dream of one day creating a new section in Christian Music stores with "Family Music" (for artists who are fun and energetic enough for kids, but ROCK hard enough that Dads want to listen, too...)
So parents - keep on (or start!) "training up your children in the way that they should go", and I hope my music and ministry can be a powerful part of your Christian-Kid-raising years! My friend Kent said, "Rob's ministry is a 'family-building' ministry," and I'm humbled and honored by that thought...
Jesus calls us to be extraordinary - not just to live a life of comfort and routine. We need to DO SOMETHING with what we know. We must GET OUT THERE! and change our world. With God's help, we can be influential and make a difference. "God may ask you to walk on a lake." Are you ready to join Him?