Students often recognize Scott Durbin – not as the coordinator of the University’s music business program or an assistant professor in the School of Music and Performing Arts, but as Mover Scott. And that’s even without his “Wobble Goggles,” the iconic costume accessory worn by Durbin’s blue coveralls-clad character on Imagination Movers, the Emmy Award-winning Disney children’s TV show he co-founded and starred in.
“I feel very fortunate that people are still interested,” said Durbin, although the educator isn’t altogether surprised. “The thing is much of the show’s primary demographic is now college aged.”
Imagination Movers’ core audience of 2- to 8- year-olds delighted in the music, skits and antics of four neighborhood friends from New Orleans. During a five-year, 76-episode run that ended in 2013, the program aired in 55 countries and generated international concert tours.
Said The New York Times in 2008 of The Movers’ child-friendly indie rock music anchored by values-oriented themes: “Their high-energy songs, with titles like “What’s in the Fridge?” and “Clean My Room,” are prized by many parents for noncondescending lyrics and music that evokes the Beastie Boys or Red Hot Chili Peppers more than Barney or the Wiggles.”
Beyond singing, acting and songwriting, Durbin attributes the enduring popularity of The Movers – who still record and perform – to the bandmates’ ability to strategically channel their inner child. “We can definitely act like goofballs, but it all boils down to being authentic. Kids can sniff out when you’re not,” he explained. “And, while it can be easy to entertain, it’s hard to educate and to entertain at the same time.”
The Movers pulled off the balancing act deftly from their “Idea Warehouse,” a colorful workshop built on a soundstage in Harahan, La. Problem solving – helping young viewers figure out how to repair a broken clock or find a lost puppy, for example – were a staple of Imagination Movers episodes. Songs that stressed good habits – such as eating healthy snacks or brushing teeth diligently – were another component of the show’s formula.
“From the start, we wanted to create something for the body and the brain, a show that fostered imagination, creativity, independence and self-esteem,” said the mandolin- and keyboard-playing Durbin.
The quartet made that happen – and became a global brand. As the band’s manager, Durbin can take his fair share of credit. Over the years, he has overseen concert tour scheduling, copyright and distribution deals, TV and recording contract negotiations, and promotions and merchandising. He has also coordinated sponsorship agreements with major companies, including American Express, BlueCross BlueShield, Chick-fil-A and Sony.
Durbin’s business savvy, musicianship and classroom experience amounts to the sort of skill set prized by the Recording Academy of the United States. Durbin, an academy member for more than 20 years, was named a Grammy U mentor last year. The six-month mentorship program pairs industry professionals with aspiring musicians between the ages of 18 and 29 who get advice about business, networking, technology and the creative process.
“It was great to give back, and the positive for me is I learned some things I’ve been able to use in our program,” he said.
Durbin, 55, has learned plenty during a life in music that began when he picked up the fiddle as a child. It’s expertise he relies on heavily to lead the innovative music business program. The program’s curriculum is structured to prepare music majors for work as professional musicians or for careers in the business of making music. Or both, which can be a hard but necessary line to skate.
“One of the most difficult things about the music industry is merging art and commerce. Most people stay on one side or the other, but both pieces are inextricably linked. You can be creative, but you have to acknowledge the consumption aspect, how to get content to an audience,” Durbin explained.
Many students are attracted to the music business program, he added, because it offers a specialized brand of knowledge and training designed to bolster job prospects and increase job security. Graduates who pursue performance careers have back up plans if the spotlight doesn’t shine brightly enough for them to earn a living. Graduates who pursue business-oriented careers have extensive instrument training that prepares them to keep evolving as musicians.
No matter the focus, from Durbin’s perspective his practical and creative experience has given him “a unique point of view that I really enjoy sharing with students who are hungry for it.”
Sally Vollenweider, a junior majoring in music, enrolled in the University’s music business program at the suggestion of her band director at Archbishop Chapelle High School in Metairie, La. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I’d always been interested in the behind-the-scenes aspects of music, and he told me, ‘You know, there’s a really good professor over at UL, Scott Durbin. He’s one of the Imagination Movers,” she said.
“I’d grown up on the show, so I thought, ‘Oh, that’s cool.’ It was sort of a full circle moment. I figured I would give it a shot, and I wound up loving it.”
Vollenweider, a clarinetist since middle school, envisions a career in entertainment law, a goal born during a Durbin lecture. “He was talking about music industry contracts, and it just sparked my interest. I’ve been hooked on that ever since,” said Vollenweider, who is also taking courses as part of the Department of Political Science’s pre-law program.
She augments what she learns in the classroom by scouting artists remotely for a Miami-based record label, an internship Durbin helped her line up. Vollenweider, an artist and repertoire, or A&R, representative, monitors social media and streaming platforms, “searching for independent artists who might be a good fit for the label. Then, it’s just a process of reaching out and shifting into sales,” she explained.
Durbin’s own salesmanship has spurred The Movers since 2002, when he first floated his concept for a children’s rock ‘n’ roll band past the other Movers at a birthday party for his 1-year-old son. Durbin, who was then an elementary school teacher, convinced Rich Collins, a journalist, Dave Poche, an architect, and Scott Smith, a firefighter, that pooling their talents and trading on their chemistry would pay off – or at least be a lot of fun. He never imagined how right he would end up being.
The buddies started meeting over beers to shape their ideas and plans. Small concerts in back yards and at children’s museums came next, creating a fan base that grew into a sizable local and regional following. The Movers sold 100,000 self-released CDs and DVDs and began kicking around ideas for a local children’s TV show. Talks with a Louisiana Public Broadcasting station ended when Hurricane Katrina struck the region in 2005, though.
The station faced infrastructure and programming challenges, and The Movers were busy putting their lives back together. Three of them, including Durbin, lost homes. The small screen seemed a no-go, until Disney sent a representative to scout the band during a New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival performance. After negotiations, Imagination Movers was on the air. Its run ended only when contract renewal talks stalled, which Durbin took in stride.
“The show didn’t define us. Not that we took it for granted, because we certainly are very appreciative of everything it’s afforded us. But we always knew Imagination Movers had its place,” he said.
The Movers, however, are anything but done. Past episodes of Imagination Movers can be streamed on Disney+ and the band’s songs can be streamed on music platforms. On Spotify alone, the tune “Watermelon Meow Meow” has been streamed more than 21 million times. The band is also putting together its 13th album, tentatively titled “The Carryover Effect Mixtape.” The Movers’ EP, or extended play, collection released in 2021 debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard Kid Audio Chart.
The band also continues to perform live. In April, The Movers played shows in Bahrain, Italy, Spain and Greece. It has also added concerts for adults to its repertoire. The first, at New Orleans’ fabled Tipitina’s, featured a traditional Movers-heavy set list for nostalgic fans, with a few rock and roll cover songs sprinkled in. One local publication placed the concert among the city’s top five shows of 2024.
In Lafayette, The Movers have performed at Festival International and venues that include Warehouse 535. “We still really enjoy playing and touring when we can, but it’s nothing prolonged. The Movers are now the side gig,” Durbin said.
For his part, Durbin never set out to become a star. The youngest of two brothers, his father was a military chaplain whose job required frequent moves. Durbin, who was born in New York City, lived in Washington, D.C., and Thailand before the family settled in New Orleans, where he graduated from Marion Abramson High School.
Durbin attended Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, majoring in East Asian studies. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Centenary College of Louisiana. After being accepted to Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina, Durbin, undecided on a career, passed on enrolling.
Throughout it all, music remained a constant. As a young adult, Durbin was lead singer for the band Clones at Play, which specialized in funk – a genre characterized by its fusion of several other genres, including jazz, soul, rhythm and blues, and rock music.
He also found a niche in teaching. Durbin taught elementary students about technology and computers at public and private schools in and around New Orleans for 10 years, twice earning local teacher of the year awards. His focus shifted to college students when he joined the University faculty in 2015, and Durbin is pleased with the way things have turned out.
“The wonderful position that I’m in is that I’m still a very, very active member of the music industry and I get to use my experiences to inform students in ways that will help them navigate the music business and avoid some of the hurdles I encountered,” he said.
Photo caption: (top) The Imagination Movers continue to perform live across the world. The band’s 2024 concert at New Orleans’ fabled Tipitina’s was for adults who grew up on its TV show. Photo Credit: (top) Steven Hatley
