Parents and children often argue about music taste and selection, especially once they get older. For one musician, it is his goal for parents and children to listen to the same music, at least for a little while.

Tom Chapin, songwriter and entertainer, will be performing at Stephens Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. This well-known musician targets his lyrical style towards parents with children ages 4 to 11.

“Tom Chapin is the last time both listen to music together,” Chapin says. “Once they get to middle school, it’s rebel and love songs.”

Chapin believes his music is family-oriented, and not just the children enjoy it, but the parents as well.

“Family concert songs connect both the parents and the kids,” he says. “There are not lots of things both like and that is the gist of what I do. It has an adult taste and is kid-friendly.”

Chapin has been well-recognized for his musical talent with numerous nominations and awards. He was named Entertainer of the Year by the American Academy of Children’s Entertainment in 1996, won the Parents’ Choice Gold Award in 1994 and has received several Grammy nominations. This year his “Mama Don’t Allow” album won the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for children.

“Awards are great,” he says. “Just being recognized is neat.”

With all his nominations and other honors, he didn’t think a Grammy was within his reach.

“It feels great,” he says. “I never thought I would win. I am just thrilled. The bottom line is, it’s cool. It’s nice to be recognized.”

After winning a Grammy, Chapin is still humble. He credits his band for his success too.

“It is not just Tom Chapin the genius creating, it is a collaboration,” he says. “That makes it fun and helps the quality too.”

Chapin owes his collaborative efforts to three other artists. Jon Cobert plays the piano and accordion and will be accompanying Chapin to Ames.

“Jon is a remarkable musician,” Chapin says. “He wrote the theme song for ESPN’s ‘Baseball Tonight.’ “

Michael Mark, bassist, and John Foster also contribute to the musical releases, Chapin says.

“Material now is a collaboration,” he says. “It’s four guys who are fathers and musicians that create together and produce.”

Chapin says all of his music is a joint effort. The inspiration isn’t necessarily from children, but he and his band members sitting around the kitchen table brainstorming. “It’s not like my kid did something cute and I am going to write about it. It’s us guys collaborating music and making good noise,” he says. “The process is coming up with ideas and hashing them out.”

Chapin tries to make each piece of music understandable for children.

“It doesn’t have to be simple, but clear for them,” Chapin says.

Sara Barr, director of marketing for the Iowa State Center, agrees the songs are entertaining and beneficial to children.

“They are fun, upbeat songs,” Barr says. “They teach children little lessons about the environment or sharing.”

Chapin says his music follows a certain format. “These are not folk albums, but it is in the ageless ballad form,” he says. “It is a story verse with repeating chorus. This works well with kids.”

He says many genres of music can be found on his nine family and seven adult albums. “The music could be various pop, folk, classical and Broadway tunes,” he says, “because it makes the album really interesting to listen to.”

Chapin began playing guitar when he was 12. With his brothers Harry and Steve, they started as the Chapin Brothers, a folk group that performed for the next 10 years. Chapin started to write some, but not much.

“I wrote a little bit, but it was more like an apprenticeship,” he says. “My first song I wrote when I was 14 or 15. It was called ‘Posters.’ “

“This is the best way to make a living,” he says, “writing and playing your own stuff.”