Heather Murtagh/Daily Journal Andy Zamenes, known as Andy Z to his young fans, leads the audience during a song performed at the Belmont Greek Festival Monday.

Andy Zamenes — a local musician called Andy Z — went to an amusement park yesterday without leaving Belmont.

And he took the children attending the Belmont Greek Festival with him.

Zamenes led the children and parents through an imaginary trip to the aquarium, on a roller coaster and in a parade in Andyland — the fictitious world described in many of his songs. To get to the park, children had to take Timmy the Train.

Zamenes led the children mimicking the wheels of a train.

“You gotta do the wheels. We have to create that train,” said Zamenes to his audience.

Once in the park, children experienced different parts of an amusement park coupled with puppet friends and new dance moves. Zamenes tells a story with each song. And each song is part of a bigger story on the album taking the listeners through a journey. The style is the creative style keeping local children interested and grooving with the musician, which is the goal of the Redwood City native.

“I really want it to be visual. I want to really encourage the kids to use their imagination like those old radio shows my dad used to like, ‘The Shadow.’ You’re painting a picture,” he said.

Zamenes didn’t start out looking to work with children. But with his fourth children’s album about to drop, Zamenes has embraced his inner child. The tiny fans don’t write letters, they draw pictures — pictures with which he decorates his home studio. It’s that love and participation in shows that keeps Zamenes going.

The 39-year-old enjoyed music from an early age — there’s even a photo of him playing with a piano while still donning diapers. Around middle school, Zamenes picked up a guitar and kept a beat around ever since.

“I was obsessed with music once I got into,” he said.

Despite efforts at an early age, it wasn’t until right after graduating from Sequoia High School that Zamenes and his band had a chance to perform.

When it came to school, Zamenes decided to pursue a degree in music, which he earned from San Francisco State University in the early ’90s. Zamenes worked in various bands through school and just after as well. Finally he needed to pay the bills and got a job as a computer tech. In 2001, the department in which Zamenes worked was cut and he was laid off.

At that point, he decided to really try making music a living. This started with small, acoustic performances at coffee shops.

Then Zamenes was asked to fill in for a preschool music teacher in San Francisco, just playing music for the kids.

“I ended up loving it. It woke up everything I loved: Character voices, story telling and music,” he said.

Zamenes began playing at local schools, mostly traditional kid songs. Then he began creating his own songs. Inspiration would just come to him. For example, it was almost Halloween and Zamenes began thinking of a scarecrow song with a rock tempo.

He never writes or talks down to the kids. The young audience also gives Zamenes a range of musical options. If it has a good beat, kids will get into it.

Ideas take Zamenes back to when he was a kid. For example, “I went to a party with Dinosaurs,” took Zamenes back to his love for the giant creatures. He had to consider, ‘who would come to such a party?’ and ‘what would the dinosaurs wear?’ Party hats, of course.

Sometimes stories come from Zamenes’ surroundings like “Squirrely Squirrel,” a song about a squirrel that lived in the tree in front of his house.

On Sept. 17 — one day after Zamenes’ 40th birthday — Andy Z’s fourth album will drop, “Summer in Andyland.” Even on the latest album, Zamenes relates personal experiences growing up with the songs. Like “Planet Potty,” a song about going when you need to instead of doing a dance. It seems silly, but that’s the best part for Zamenes.

“It’s in my nature to be silly. I lost it for quite some time. There’s a need to be serious as you get older. Kids reminded me of who I was anyway. I went through a growth spurt but I was becoming a kid again. Laughing and being silly, that’s part of me,” he said.

Donning tie-dye, Zamenes let that silly side shine yesterday for his audience.

Sisters Pixie and Izabella Guerrero danced like fishes to the new song “Slippery Fish.” The pair were fans of Andy Z before the show. Their father Tin Guerrero also enjoys the performer.

“It imaginative. It really gets these kids going when they’re strapped in their child seats,” he said.

Even better, the music is something Tin Guerrero can enjoy as well.

In the future, Zamenes hopes to expand his reach to children. He’s working on a DVD and maybe a Sing-A-Long movie as well.

Andy Z’s new album is available in presale on his Web site www.andyz.com. Purchasing early means an extra compact disc.

Info box:

Upcoming performances

•  11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 8 at Red Morton Park, 1400 Roosevelt Ave., Redwood City. Free concert, bring a canned good to support Second Harvest.

• 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9 at Little Gym, 3490 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville.

• 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15 at the OLA Funfare, 1328 Cabrillo Ave., Burlingame.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.