Group Bio

“Delivering children’s music at its purest.”
— Cookie magazine

“Parents will be as entertained by the sublime musicianship and droll lyricism as the kids.”
— Boston Globe

“Phenomenally talented duo...singing and musicianship are flawless.”
— Time Out NY Kids

Cathy and Marcy are trailblazers in children's and family music. They play dozens of instruments from banjos to mandolins to rockin' electric guitar, steel drum and ukulele. They sing, yodel, chicken cluck in harmony, twirl a mean lariat rope, scat sing and inspire effortless participation from every audience. Most importantly, they love what they do and have been rewarded for their excellence with 2 GRAMMY® Awards, 11 consecutive GRAMMY® nominations and literally hundreds of awards from The Parents' Choice Foundation, American Library Association, John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Washington Area Music Association and on, and on.....

Cathy & Marcy Factoids:

*Together, Cathy & Marcy have taught over 2 million people worldwide how to yodel.

*Marcy once twirled a 100 foot long rope in to a circle while standing in the middle.

* Cathy can hula hoop for 45 minutes without dropping the hoop.

* The duo currently directs 3 Ukulele Orchestras- a Brownie troop orchestra, a seniors orchestra and an advanced orchestra.

"Talent + Experience + Inspiration = Masterpiece"
- Fran Grauman, Kids Music (A NY Times Company)
http://kidsmusic.about.com

Cathy & Marcy won back-to-back GRAMMY ® Awards in the Best Musical Album for Children category in 2004 & 2005. They produced and performed on “cELLAbration: A Tribute To Ella Jenkins”, bringing together Pete Seeger, Riders in the Sky, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Mariachi Los Camperos and a handful of other artists to honor Ella Jenkins in 2005. In 2004, their CD “Bon Appétit!: Musical Food Fun” won the GRAMMY® award. Their CD, “Scat Like That: A Musical Word Odyssey” was a GRAMMY® Finalist in 2006 and the title song won first place in the 2007 John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

Their newest recording "BANJO TO BEATBOX" once again shows Cathy & Marcy stretching out in a fresh, new, collaboration with young hip-hop stylist Christylez Bacon. With over 50 recordings to their credit, Cathy & Marcy continue to bring new music, songs and skills to their repertoire.

Over 5,000 shows in performing arts centers, schools, folk festivals, community centers, libraries and children's festivals have given Cathy & Marcy the superb skills to deliver a show that is fun, wacky, energetic, participatory and that also brings meaning to their song, "It's Better When We Sing It Together".  Through Cathy & Marcy's SongShop® concert DVD and video podcasts, they expand their generosity to fans and new friends with songs, tips on making a pirate ship from two milk cartons, how to make your own hula hoop and even a hip-hop/beatbox/tap dance/breakdance jam session!

An eclectic folk festival on their own terms, Cathy & Marcy have entertained the Queen of Thailand, sung at the White House Easter Egg Roll, performed at hundreds of folk festivals, sung in Congress on behalf of the SCHIP bill (State Children's Health Insurance Program),  appeared on the "Today Show" and on National Public Radio. They've been getting' around for nearly 30 years together and the dynamic duo is going strong!

The STORY

Cathy & Marcy met in 1980 at the Toronto Folk Festival. After many a jam session and many a concert together, they started touring and recording together full time in 1984. Their home base is Maryland and they have performed in Japan, Scotland, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Canada.

Marcy performed in her first elementary school assembly at age 12. She played guitar for hours a day as a kid and loved to play music with her grandmother who played Barrel House & Blues piano. In Michigan, her home state, she performed with several string-bands for square dances and concerts. Marcy attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Ringling Brothers Clown School with the hopes of combining music and theater skills. Ask Marcy what it takes to entertain and educate a concert hall for of kids and she'll say, "Every trick in the book".

Cathy grew up in Baltimore, and started playing music for kids in 1972 as an intern at Rough Rock Demonstration School on the Navajo Indian Reservation. She moved to Montreal later in 1972, became enmeshed in the folk scene and began touring in 1974 in a folk/country duo simultaneously nurturing a career in children's music and folk music. She loved singing in choirs and school choruses, listened to the Weavers and other popular folk music on the radio,  inspiring her to  play guitar at age 12. In the early 1970's Cathy cemented her lifelong relationship with the banjo.

Step forward to 2009 and it's amazing what Cathy & Marcy have accomplished together, and also how many new territories they are exploring with music, video, production, performance and activism.

Cathy & Marcy's musicianship, performing and writing skills drew led them to be early artists in the Wolf Trap Foundation for Early Learning Through the Performing Arts, helping to create a musical curriculum for Head Start teachers and students. Their music has been heard in classrooms across the country with curriculum ralted CD's for Handwriting Without Tears, Smarterville and McGraw-Hill School Publishing.

Cathy & Marcy Firsts:

*Cathy- First woman to win the West Virginia Old Time Banjo Contest (3X)

*Marcy- First woman to proficiently play the guitar, mandolin, steel drum, congas, hammered dulcimer, ukulele, cello banjo, tenor banjo, pennywhistle, bodhran, spoons, and washboard all at the same time (just kidding, she can only play 5 at once)

*First performers who specialize in children's music to win a GRAMMY® Award, in fact 2 in a row, not associated with a licensed character, movie, celebrity or TV show.