New Sound of Summer

June 22, 2007 — -- Michael Hearst loves his ice cream. However, this Brooklyn, N.Y., native does not love those annoying ice cream truck songs blasting up and down his street all summer long.

In fact, Hearst was so fed up with "Pop Goes the Weasel" and the Mr. Softy melody that he created his own album of ice cream truck songs, appropriately named "Songs for Ice Cream Trucks."

"The songs that are being played by ice cream trucks right now aren't necessarily bad songs, they're just I'd say songs that we've all grown a little tired of," said Hearst in an interview with ABC News. "I feel like it's time we have some more slightly interesting songs to listen to and ones that aren't going to drive us insane hopefully."

Instead of the usual tinny, high-pitched tones, Hearst's 13-song album features amusing, multilayered tracks such as "The Popsicle Parade," "Tones for Cones" and even "Ice Cream Yo!"

With the help of 10 different instruments, such as the claviola, a 1980s Casio keyboard, a glockenspiel and a theremin, Hearst managed to create songs that sound like they should be coming from your radio, rather than an ice cream truck.

With acoustic, electronic and even pop tracks, Hearst's album manages to retain a sense of childish whimsy and playfulness while still appealing to more sophisticated ears.

"The songs that I've written are using a lot more instruments and have a lot more complex structures going on. There are no simple melodies that just repeat over and over again," he said. "Because I recorded this myself playing all the instruments in my studio, I was able to layer which [gave the music] the more traditional feel of the ice cream truck sound.

"I was able to add things like the accordion and old keyboards and percussion sounds, all kinds of things to help it sound more interesting. And, on top of that, adding key changes and chromatic runs and music school things to make it sound less like a nursery rhyme being played."

Road Music

In fact, "Songs for Ice Cream Trucks" appeals not only to children, but also to adults. Before hitting stores earlier this month, Hearst sold copies of his CD, produced through Bar None records, on his Web site, www.songsforicecreamtrucks.com, and through iTunes, where he received e-mail after e-mail praising his work.

"As I got further along in the project, a lot of parents came to me and said this was working very well for their kids as a kid record. And then the big surprise was that ice cream truck drivers were starting to contact me," he said. "The idea of having ice cream truck drivers all over the world playing these songs is the supreme goal." Currently, Hearst's songs are a welcome addition to ice cream trucks' soundtracks in Oregon, Georgia and even Los Angeles.

One driver from North Carolina, whose name is Doran, went so far as to commission a song from Hearst for his truck, thus giving life to the track "One for Doran."

Hearst sees his CD as a tribute to people's memories of the old fashioned ice cream trucks and to their childhood memories of carefree, endless, ice cream-filled summers.

As a self-proclaimed ice cream addict, he knows better than anyone the mood-boosting effects of the cold, creamy stuff.

"A lot of people get a little nostalgic when they hear these songs. They associate these songs with childhood memories and with ice cream trucks in general," he said. "Ice cream can't help but make people happy. Ice cream is something you eat when you're sick, ice cream is something you eat when you're sad, ice cream is something you eat when it's too miserably hot outside. It's almost a soothing healing medicine."

Ultimately, Hearst hopes his music brings smiles to the faces of all who hear it. The many responses he has received from parents and ice cream truck drivers alike have certainly brought one to his face. "It's all just fantastic and amazing to me and makes me happy, just like ice cream."