GRAMMY Stories, Taylor Swift & More
It was a whirlwind weekend for the GRAMMY Awards. We started Saturday, Jan. 31 with a networking breakfast @ 8:30am with nearly 100 folks involved in children’s music. The more the merrier! Then Cathy, Marcy & Chris Bacon were part of a Children’s Music nominees concert at the GRAMMY Museum. Standing room only created a special feeling and we were honored to perform with our fellow nominees. Later, at the Lifetime Achievement Awards, we saw Thomas Edison’s GREAT grandchildren accept an award. WOW! WOW! Real descendants of this inventor genius who’s phonograph and 1000+ patents changed much of the course of history. Banjo to Beatbox Team: Charlie Pilzer, Trevor, Cathy, Marcy, Christylez @ GRAMMY Museum
Sunday, the pre-telecast event gave out 100 awards. And the winner is…….Ziggy Marley in the children’s music category.
Saw friends Bela Fleck, Sharon Isbin and quirky Loudon Wainwright win (High, Wide & Handsome).
MEANTIME, my nephew asked me to get Taylor Swift’s autograph. Nine year old Laila, part of our entourage, also had that in mind. So, when a friend pointed Taylor out in the crowd, we headed her way to request the autographs. We were stopped by her body guard who told us we couldn’t go near Ms. Swift. I said, “This nine year old simply wants an autograph. Are you gonna break the heart of a little girl?” He said, “There’s lots of little girls in the world.” I reminded him this was the price of fame and Taylor was more than happy to sign 2 autographs for us, JUST before winning her first GRAMMY and becoming the big winner that evening.
If you saw the TV show, just know that we saw it LIVE-along with 14,000 of our closest friends at the Staples Center. We were touched that our friend Mike Seeger’s name and picture were amongst the group the academy said goodby to this year.
At the GRAMMY party, Chris Bacon and his date led the dance floor in some cool SE DC line dancing moves. A few hours later, we were headed to the airport for Maui to work on a new cross cultural CD with our friends Ginger and Robyn of the Hula Honeys.
Long as we’re making music and life is interesting and we think we can make people happy, or thoughtful, or both, we’ll keep on doin’ it. Aloha for now.
Cathy & Marcy
Behind the Scenes at the Grammy’s!
Become a Facebook Fan of Cathy & Marcy! Click here to become a fan and get the latest behind-the-scenes news and pictures as we get ready for the Grammys!
Also, take a look at the featured article in the Washington Post, Kid’s Post section! Learn more about our Grammy nominated “Banjo to Beatbox” collaboration with Christylez Bacon.
Cathy & Marcy Collaborate with Christylez Bacon
Pre-School Fun
We started our careers in music with kids small and still love “small” when we can make it happen. We’ve made an annual visit to Takoma Park, MD’s “PURPLE SCHOOL” for 3 years. Our friends send their kids to this engaging school with lots of parent participation. we went in with a set list yesterday, but ended up making up a few songs on the spot-a great way to invent new material that really “works” in that setting. Also sang a hit song from the “Handwriting Without Tears“ GET SET FOR SCHOOL curriculum that we have created 2 CD’s for. As the bluegrass songs says, “Don’t Get Above Your Raisin”.
Happy New Year- Cathy & Marcy’s 2009 in Review
Out with the old, in with the new. But how did we spend 2009? It’s amazingly difficult to choose 1 highlight per month but it beats writing a whole book, so here we go:
JANUARY: We performed at the Smithsonian’s American Indian Museum the day before Obama’s inauguration in a pre-inaugural multi-cultural party.
Marcy produced a CD by Kellie Allen & Pete Peterson
FEBRUARY- At the GRAMMY Awards we announced about 20 awards, handed the GRAMMY to 2 friends (Bill Harley and Art Rosenbaum) and Cathy had her photo taken with Paul McCartney, REALLY.
MARCH- We launch the Brownie Troop of Kensington, MD Ukulele Orchestra
APRIL- BANJO TO BEATBOX plays Philly kids fest and CD is released on our SongShop™ label
MAY- Can’t do just 1. Birchmere Mother’s Day show with Deborah Tannen (NY Times Best selling author), Peggy Seeger & the dynamic duo AND
While in Maui for business (ha, ha, ha) we meet the HULA HONEYS, jam for days on end with them and vow to produce their next CD
Film JUBILATION MUSIC VIDEO
JUNE- Perform tribute to ELLA JENKINS at Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s Ralph Rinzler Memorial Concert
JULY- gotta do 4
*Old time Banjo Festival at the Birchmere includes Cathy & Marcy, Bruce Molsky, Mike Seeger, Adam Hurt, The Old 78’s- Mike’s last Washington DC performance
*Ukulele Festival- James Hill, Victoria Vox, Cathy, Marcy, local friends & 3 uke orchestras-WOW
*Wolf Trap Theater in the Woods w/ Chris Bacon & BANJO TO BEATBOX
*Kennedy Center Millenium Stage w/ James Hill & Adam Hurt
AUGUST- Clifftop Appalachian String Band Festival gives a chance to chill & play old time music with friends from all over the country. BUT, we lost good friend and old time music torch bearer Mike Seeger to cancer. 
September- Record 2 DVD’s (Meet the Instruments) and a CD (Michele Valeri’s “Little Ditties for Itty Bitties”) for our SONGSHOP™ label. February releases.
October- Favorite show was the Tribute to Utah Phillips celebrating the 2 CD set, “Singing Through The Hard Times” honoring his music & raising $ for the homeless shelter he helped build.
NOVEMBER- The dynamic duo sold 110 ukuleles to pre-school teachers at the National Association for the Education of Young Children Conference in Washington DC, plus plenty of C&M CD’s & DVD’s, but most importantly, loved hanging out with pre-school teachers and teaching ukulele at our booth. 2 chords makes you ready to sing 100 songs! 3 chords=500+ songs
DECEMBER- gotta mention a few
*BANJO TO BEATBOX becomes our 14th consecutive GRAMMY nominated CD, for Best Musical Recording for Children
*24th Annual Winter Family concert including Scottish fiddle virtuoso Bonnie Rideout and the Rockville High School Bagpipe Band. Some families bring 3 generations of Cathy & Marcy fans
*Then a memorial & music party in honor of Mike Seeger
Then- Marcy’s mom has major surgery and lives to tell the tale
Then- 17th Annual Gingerbread House decorating party
Then- Xmas party at rehap center for Marcy’s mom with musical friends
Then- Xmas dinner & music party
Then- Hank Williams Tribute nights at the Birchmere Music Hall & Court Square Theater (Harrisonburg, VA)
Then- HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Someplace in there we also contributed to the National Geographic’s new Documentary on the Appalchian Trail on dulcimer, banjo, guitar and mandolin. Cathy got a new bike in trade for banjo lessons. Marcy collected a few tenor guitars and we each rescued some special instruments from gloom and doom on ebay and elsewhere. Cathy became more active with the Washington Area Women’s Foundation and Marcy built up the Girls with Guitars and Ukulele Social Network social websites. There’s always more, but now that it’s 2010, we’ve got new work & projects to get to.
Here’s to a year of CHANGE, HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AT AFFORDABLE PRICES, GOOD HEALTH, SONGS, PEACE, HAPPINESS, PEACE and ever expanding hat collections. Keep your sense of humor-you’re gonna need it. Get up and do something and it’ll get done!
Cathy & Marcy
Today’s Hats
Dust Collector, Human Snow Plow, Bookkeeper, Philosopher, Mosaic Artist, Buddy, Shipping Clerk, Secretary, Label Manager, Artist Rep., Grammy Winner, Banjo Player, Pro Bono Advisor, Satirist, Content Creator, Dishwasher, Songwriter, Activist, God-Mother, Aunt, Chameleon
BANJO TO BEATBOX GRAMMY NOMINATION
We are deeply honored, thrilled & grateful that our CD BANJO TO BEATBOX with special guest Christylez Bacon is nominated for a GRAMMY Award in the Best Musical Album for Children category. It’s an organic project, homegrown and released, and opening new doors for hip-hop youngster (23) Christylez Bacon and yours truly. Who ever thought that banjos and beatboxing would ever happen? We love the combo, the new rhymes and songs and sounds that came out of it.
We’ve been making music for kids and families for well over 25 years with each other and with our fans & friends. To continue to be recognized is quite special.
We’ve been reading about it on twitter & facebook, news articles, etc. Feel free to join in the viral brigade. We’ve got hats and T shirts on the way, but most importantly, in rewriting the words to the opening song, “JUBILATION”,
We thank you for this nomination
For Banjo To Beatbox Jubilation
A musical cross pollination
For fun and musical recreation
Jubilation – Jubilation
Jubilation – Jubilation
One thing that would help this nation is
More music and jubilation!!!!!!!!
We’re still taking in new verses to this song from fans, so send them in to info@cathymarcy.com
Find your copy HERE
We are also on a GRAMMY nominated Traditional Folk CD, “SINGING THROUGH THE HARD TIMES: THE SONGS OF UTAH PHILLIPS”. He was a singer, songwriter, storyteller, hobo, train hopper, activist and amazing human being. More info HERE
Tune in soon for an i-report from 7 year old podcaster on our 24th Annual Family Concert last Saturday!
BANJO TO BEATBOX
Cathy & Marcy’s HEARTSTRINGS program
Cathy & Marcy’s HEARTSTRINGS program is a way for us to help you find the musical instrument of your dreams within your budget and to inspire you to give the gift of music to a child who doesn’t otherwise have the opportunity.GUITARS NOT GUNS of the National Capital Area Area is a local nonprofit whose mission is to inspire at-risk and underprivileged youth to succeed by providing them music education opportunities through the use of volunteers and partnerships in our community. They help instill in these youth the confidence and character necessary for them to grow into productive members of society and responsible adults. The program provides free guitar lessons with the belief that the art of music connects the child to higher life goals and ambition. Students are loaned a guitar to use for the beginner’s class; once they complete the class they are awarded that guitar; it is theirs to keep. Read HERE.
Our goal is to raise at least $2500 for GUITARS NOT GUNS this holiday season. By setting the example of us giving our time to you, we hope you will donate some of your $ to this wonderful program. The process is quick and simple.
First: Make a tax deductible contribution of $25 or more to Guitars Not Guns by going to their web site www.gngnca.org – and clicking on the “Donate Now” button in the upper right corner of any page. Specify the amount you want to give and in the “Dedication” section, write:“HEARTSTRINGS”.
Second: You will receive a Thank You from Guitars Not Guns that includes a request form for you to fill out.
Third: Complete the request form and e-mail it to us at info@cathymarcy.com
Fourth: You’ll hear back from us within a few days. We will suggest up to 3 instruments within your budget as well as recommendations of convenient, friendly and reasonably priced places to buy online or near you, depending on where you live.
Then: as you make more music in your life, you’ll enjoy it more knowing that you helped provide that same opportunity to a deserving kid in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area.
We will be helping people find electric & acoustic guitars, banjos of all kinds, ukuleles, mandolins, whistles and folk flutes, dulcimers and more.
We teach Marcy’s song, “SHARING” in sign language. The sign for “sharing” shows that you give some away and you take some for yourself. Click on song to LISTEN.
The song is from the CD, “CHANGING CHANNELS“.
SHARING
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. The program will run from November 1- December 20, 2009
Scottish Bag Pipe Band – Groovy Kids
We have always enjoyed hearing, seeing and performing with talented kids. Our upcoming 24th Annual Winter Family Concert will include the best in Scottish music. Our good friend and master Scottish fiddler, Bonnie Rideout joins us. In 1998 Marcy produced Bonnie’s family CD, “Gimme Elbow Room” which won a Parents’ Choice Gold Award.
Bonnie introduced us to the Rockville High School Pipe Band. They will also perform in the concert. The members of the band meet every Wednesday at Rockville High School to rehearse. Ages range from 12yrs.-high school. They work hard, practicing as a group for 2 hours per week marching in formation, learning new material and fine tuning the band sound with Highland Pipes, bass drum and snare drums.
To keep up, many of the kids take private lessons during the week and everyone has to practice. We LOVED the sound of lots of Pipes together.
This band has been going since 1961 (with different kids of course). Some of its more notable performances include concerts at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the dedication parade for the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial; a Redskins half-time show; the world premeires of the movies Patton and a Bridge Too Far. For over 30 years, the Pipe Band has also been responsible for holding the annual National Capital Area Scottish Festival.
Come meet these talented kids, see and hear how the bagpipes work-or if you don’t live near here, find a local Pipe group.
Hear the Pipe Band, Bonnie Rideout & Cathy & Marcy together!
Check out the pipes up close!
For tickets, click HERE
MORE JUBILATION!
KIDS/TEACHERS/FAMILIES – LET’S JUBILATE SOME MORE
CONTEST EXTENDED
Here are some of the new verses to the song “JUBILATION” that our fans sent. You can hear the original on the BANJO TO BEATBOX CD. We still encourage PARTICIPATION for future recording and PUBLICATION! Write a new verse and send it in.
FROM: Suzanne, Joshua, James and Timothy Heiser
Age: Ranges from 4 to 36 years (boys are 4, 6 & 
New Verse:
A herald shouts a proclamation
An artist paints an illustration
A scientist makes an observation
Read all about it in a publication
Turn it off- conservation
Clean it up- sanitation
Take a hike- enjoy creation
Plant a tree for beautification
FROM: Lisa Silverberg (age undisclosed)
Make a new lego, it’s a creation
Feel something funny, it’s a sensation
Need some money, call a foundation
Eat too much chocolate, you’ve got a fixation
FROM: Lisa & Jesse Silverberg (Jesse is 6)
Water forming… condensation
Babies growing is called gestation
Caterpillars/Butterflies… transformation
Whales hunt using… echolocation
So we’re keeping the door open for more Jubilation fun. Send in your new verses. Any Halloween verses out there?
Check out 2 new COLORING PAGES from BANJO TO BEATBOX for FROGGY WENT A COURTIN’ and HIP-HOP HUMPTY DUMPTY, HERE
Watch the JUBILATION MUSIC VIDEO below
PRIZES: Top 5 will receive FREE CD of their choice from www.cathymarcy.com AND Cathy & Marcy SongShop Washboard.
Here’s how to join the JUBILATION LYRICS CONTEST:
1)Write a new verse to JUBILATION and email it to: info@cathymarcy.com
PLEASE INCLUDE
Name of entrant
Age of entrant
Your new verse
2) YOU MUST INCLUDE AND AGREE TO THIS IN YOUR SUBMISSION:
I understand that by submitting my verse to the song JUBILATION, Community Music, Inc. has the right to print, record or otherwise use and distribute my verse. It becomes the property of Community Music, Inc. Though Community Music, Inc. will attempt to credit and thank each entrant if their material is used, there are times that this may not be possible. Community Music, Inc. has permission to use my submission regardless of credit.
____ AGREED Name___________________________________
_____Parent/Guardian Agrees for entrants under 21
Name of Parent/Guardian__________________________________
Email:_______________________________________________
That’s it-let the word fun begin.
And, you can also have fun with the JUBILATION WORD SEARCH HERE
TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY
ARRRR, ARRR, ARRR, ARRR
Though EVERY day can be TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY, today is the official holiday. School is out (as it should be). Our friends Tom Paxton and Riders in the Sky joined us in this LIVE performance at the cELLAbration Live! concert at Strathmore. Sing along.
You can find this song on the CD “SCAT LIKE THAT”.
Watch the video and you’ll also learn to make a pirate ship from 2 milk cartons and a straw.
JUBILATION NEW LYRIC CONTEST
KIDS/TEACHERS/FAMILIES
Sept. 1- Sept. 30 with COOL PRIZES
We’ve gotten so much fun response to the song and video “JUBILATION” from the BANJO TO BEATBOX CD. The first time we performed it, for a 5th grade class, the teacher said, “Wow, we could use that song as a lesson plan on rhyming and vocabulary.” A week later, we got 3 pages of new verses to the song from that class.
That gave us the idea to invite everyone in on the fun. We’ll read every submission and choose some of the best for publication in the blog. We will even record some of the best for folks to hear in the blog and on the website.
We encourage kids, families and even teachers to have as much fun with this as possible!
Watch the JUBILATION MUSIC VIDEO below
PRIZES: Top 5 will receive FREE CD of their choice from www.cathymarcy.com AND Cathy & Marcy SongShop Washboard.
Here’s how to join the JUBILATION LYRICS CONTEST:
1)Write a new verse to JUBILATION and email it to: info@cathymarcy.com
PLEASE INCLUDE
Name of entrant
Age of entrant
Your new verse
2) YOU MUST INCLUDE AND AGREE TO THIS IN YOUR SUBMISSION:
I understand that by submitting my verse to the song JUBILATION, Community Music, Inc. has the right to print, record or otherwise use and distribute my verse. It becomes the property of Community Music, Inc. Though Community Music, Inc. will attempt to credit and thank each entrant if their material is used, there are times that this may not be possible. Community Music, Inc. has permission to use my submission regardless of credit.
____ AGREED Name___________________________________
_____Parent/Guardian Agrees for entrants under 21
Name of Parent/Guardian__________________________________
Email:_______________________________________________
That’s it-let the word fun begin.
And, you can also have fun with the JUBILATION WORD SEARCH HERE