I’m on the set of the children’s television program The Biscuit Brothers, Austin’s homespun half-hour favorite among the kindergarten camp of TV watchers. I’m at Harmony Homestead, the show’s magical ranch house outside the city. I hear “Singing Creek,” and I’m heading down to the musical toolshed in a few. The lovable Tiny Scarecrow, perhaps the Lone Star State’s most famous clumsy and funny puppet, sits on a chair nearby―and he’s about as lifeless as a sack of cotton.
Three Guys and a Puppet
Biscuit-backstage isn’t nearly as extraordinary as the TV version. I’m seeing it all, plain and simple. Dusty and Buford Biscuit; their enchanted, pop-savvy song-ranch; and the goofy hand puppet
who cracks up even the Biscuits during tapings: The whole deal is just three guys, a puppet, and a camera. But…
“I can count on one hand the number of kids who’ve seen a flimsy, without-life Tiny Scarecrow,” Damon Brown says to me. He’s the show’s director, as well as the puppeteer and voice of Tiny.
It’s just us four out here―me, Jerome Schoolar (“Dusty Biscuit”), Allen Robertson (“Buford Biscuit”), and Damon―taping episodes for the sketch show that uses musical education as a vehicle for life lessons. The morning’s episode puts porchside the show’s three stars―two country song-savants and the afraid-of-birds, hay-sneezy Tiny. In this segment, the Biscuits focus the lesson on the musical canon with a three-part “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” Tiny, of course, makes things interesting.
“Kids, now follow this harmony,” Dusty instructs. “Tiny, you come in after me.” What follows is the silly train wreck the show is known for, the brothers being playfully patient with Tiny, and the orange-faced puppet struggling to grasp the concept, making cracks to make parents at home hoot.
Musical Merit
Because The Biscuit Brothers is a) relegated to the children’s category, b) so singsong in sound, and c) filmed on a Hill Country ranch and not on some Hollywood back lot, the inclination
is to under-credit its smarts and musical chops. But take a listen (their music is available on CD, iTunes, or DVD), and notice
that, for instance, “Oh! Susanna” and “She’ll Be Comin’’Round the Mountain” might channel a Beatles tune and Bach. Go further in: There’s Big Band, jazz, Cajun, country and western, and classical. Hear the tuba, trombone, dobro, mandolin, and ukulele. The Biscuits’ music walks the fine line of catchy and creative. It’s simple enough for a 3-year-old to follow but with twists an LP-collector appreciates. Many elementary school music teachers
even use it as a curriculum supplement.
If nothing else, Jerome, Allen, and Damon have a blast writing, recording, and performing the tunes. “Our workflow is very much like a trio of jazz musicians riffing off each other,” Allen says in his home studio, where instruments are scattered about like toys. “We have notes all over the house.”
Biscuit Beliefs
All three men came into the show (the pilot aired in 2004) with abundant qualifications to communicate to families via melody
and storyboard: master’s degrees in theater and music, newscasting experience, Disney voice work, and genuine friendships that shine through on camera.
They put forth a belief in the power of music to communicate as deeply as words and as precisely as numbers. Whether it’s using harmony to address healthy friendships or taking an unfamiliar route on a familiar tune to encourage exploration, The Biscuit Brothers is much more than a televised babysitter.
The show, heralded with a Texas Legislature resolution and Lone Star EMMY Awards, approaches its fourth season. The guys continue reaping the personal gains of days filming on Harmony Homestead or playing live in the city. They love seeing kids light up at public performances, reading thank-you letters in crayon scrawl, or seeing their own families benefit.
“When I get to hear a song Jerome has written for his sons about taking the time to stop and listen to this amazing world we live in―that’s when I get to know him even better,” Allen remarks.
Damon adds, “Music, for me, is ingrained like faith. You can benefit from its power without even knowing it.”
The Biscuit Brothers airs Saturdays on most Texas PBS stations. Season four begins in September.
More From The Biscuit Brothers
Dusty, Buford, and Tiny Scarecrow want to give a warm Biscuit “hello.” Click here for an exclusive clip.
By the Numbers
- 54―Episodes of The Biscuit Brothers written and produced for the show’s four seasons
- 2―Lone Star EMMY Awards for excellence in children’s programming
- 300―Live Biscuit performances at venues such as Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Whole Foods Market, and the Austin City Limits Music Festival
- 3/20/2007―The day the Texas Legislature passed Resolution HCR 27 commending The Biscuit Brothers on quality kid TV. They even sang some songs in the Capitol Rotunda.
- 120―Work hours (writing, filming, and editing) to complete one 30-minute show
- $300,000―Amount needed to produce a season’s worth of the freely shown The Biscuit Brothers
"Everybody Loves The Biscuit Brothers" is from the June 2008 issue of Texas Living: People & Places, a special section of Southern Living for our subscribers in Texas.
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