Steve Denyes always had a love for music.
The San Diego musician said he remembers constantly singing songs and how he felt playing his first instrument, a trombone.
“I snatched onto it the second I had the chance,” Denyes said. “The smell and sights come rushing back to me when I think about playing (the trombone). It probably didn’t sound good but in my mind, it was music.”
Denyes went on to pick up small gigs around town. His first gig was at Cafe Coyote in Old Town where he earned about $10 to play some tunes.
Years later, Denyes is the lead singer in Hullabaloo, an award-winning kid-folk band that has performed more than 2,700 times around the region. This summer, Hullabaloo will perform a series of concerts at the Waterfront Park in downtown San Diego.
But the path to musical success wasn’t a clear one for Denyes. The San Diego native said he studied cultural anthropology in college and began teaching elementary school after graduating.
One year, he decided to record an album for his sister’s children.
“I made a Christmas album of me singing all the classic songs like ‘Twinkle Twinkle’ and ‘Old MacDonald,’” Denyes said. “From there word just kind of spread about my singing and it soon became something I couldn’t ignore.”
After two years of singing children’s songs part-time, Denyes left his career as a teacher to pursue a music career.
Hullabaloo, a two-member band where Denyes performs with childhood friend Brendan Kremer, is the recipient of more than 15 awards. The duo has performed original songs such as “Road Trip” and “Sing Along with Sam” for more than 12 years.
“It’s been really wonderful,” Denyes said. “I’ll get a lot of kids who really enjoy coming to our shows over the course of the years. They’ll show up with their guitars and sing along. It’s really touching to know you are a part of a child’s life in that way.”
Hullabaloo will kick off its summer concert series on May 29. The band will perform the last Sunday of each month from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Sept. 25.
For more information, visit www.hullabalooband.com.
