On this record, Mary was joined on bass, keyboards and electric guitar by Dave D'Aran. Andrew Beale played V-Drums, conga, Zidjian cymbals, Mapex kit, shaker, and unmuted floor tom. Mrs. Trites third grade class at Central Elementary School contributed back up vocals for three of the songs. Rhonda Mann designed all of the artwork for the album. Dave D'Aran recorded the album. Dave D'Aran produced the album with Mary.
If you want your child to listen to something refreshingly different, Mary Kaye's latest CD might just be what you are looking for. Music Box is the latest CD of singer-songwriter, performer and children's music recording artist; Mary Kaye. This CD is a collection of 12 songs that will appeal to listeners young and old. Music Box is certainly a refreshing break from your typical children's music. All the songs in this CD were written by Mary Kaye; 3 of the songs feature third grade students singing back-up vocals. The melodies are appealingly unpredictable, the lyrics are very imaginative and the vocals beautifully rendered. In each song, Mary Kaye successfully creates interesting characters and scenarios that will tickle a child's imagination. For example, we hear about the "Hot Chocolate Fairy" who slides down cocoa mountain to bring hot cocoa (with marshmallows, of course) to eagerly awaiting children. In "Under the Moon," we hear about various animals enjoying a nighttime walk. Clearly, Mary Kaye understands what her young listeners' need. Her background in education and theatre, plus her role as a mom to her 2 children, evidently contributes to this. Music Box was certainly a joy to listen to. Parents and educators may also use this CD in the home or classroom to encourage music appreciation, movement and creative thinking. -Espie Estrella, About.com Music Education
Music Box is a CD of charming tunes...delightfully upbeat album...highly recommended for children's library audio collections. -Midwest Book Review
At the annual spring conference of the Children’s Librarians of NH, we have a showcase of performers on the rooster for Kids, Books and the Arts grants. This year Mary Kaye came over from Maine to join us, and out of everyone, I was most drawn to her performance. Her voice is enchanting…During a car ride, listening to Music Box, my spouse made an acute observation: “She likes to make sounds.” Under time-pressed circumstances, that could serve as a one-sentence review of the album, but it deserves much more than that. The lyrics are fun-lots of young child appeal-and excepting the tongue-twistingly alliterate “Tasting Tea,” they’re good for singalongs (most kids can handle the lyrics “I’m a bug, bug, bug, bug, bug”). Scoring big points with me, most of the songs are good for dancing, too. Highlights- “Under the Moon” - a cumulative song with the sounds of various animals and some kids who want to take a late walk. “Music Box” - This song is about different everyday sounds, like popcorn popping, clocks ticking, bees buzzing, and teeth being brushed. It seems like that must be a step in achieving music literacy, the way that print awareness is a stage of learning to read. “Turtley Turleloo” - This is my favorite from the album. It’s catchy, and isn’t this the perfect description of love? “It wasn’t what I planned/but he’s my favorite toy.” -ayuddha.net
Listening to Mary Kaye’s newest CD Music Box is an experience. If a storybook filled with animals and all sorts of fantasy creatures could come alive in a musical way, the verses would most likely sound exactly like the songs on the album. Kaye sings with expression and animation and her words quickly spill out in a speak-sing fashion. Her deep, low voice works perfectly for singing her folk-rock sounding songs that appeal to both kids and adults…Abstract and fragmented, the lyrics to her songs creatively describe all sorts of interesting creatures and situations. My kids really like the silly song “Bug” where a poor bug is trapped under a cup inside the house. In my favorite song, “Music Box,” Kaye sings of all the sounds in the world like the tap tap tap of the woodpecker and squish squish squish of muddy boots. “Turtley Turtleoo” sounds a bit like a yodel--Turtle-eeeee, Turtle-ooooo. If you try to sing along with any of her songs, I can guarantee your mouth is in for a fun work-out. Kids can settle down and relax with “Hot Chocolate Fairy” a cold-weather song and fall asleep dreaming of the quiet “Sleepy Land…” -Brimful Curiosities.com
Buttercup just got a new music box and she's absolutely in love with it. But this isn't just any ol' music box...it's a new CD from Maine musician Mary Kaye, and it's been a non-stop request from my music loving toddler since the folksy collection arrived in our mail box. Mary Kaye's vocals are surprisingly deep and rich, and hooked Buttercup right from the start. And with the lyrics to each song reading more like the pages of a much-loved and dog-eared book, it's no surprise Buttercup keeps asking for me to play, "Bok, mamma!" (That's "Buttercup" for "Box!") The indie children's recording artist has received rave reviews from Parenting Magazine, The Los Angeles Daily News, Booklist, and many more.
- Berriesweetpicks.blogspot.com
Mary Kaye’s new music CD Music Box is a real hoo-oot-ooh-ooh...Mary Kaye is an award-winning musician played on many English-language radio shows worldwide. Her husky voice and folksy style are very easy on the ear. Her band features guitar, drums and many acoustical instruments that capture the interest of the listener young and old. Her song “Bug” immediately caught my attention. It placed me into the life of a bug and how children interact with them...Listener’s are likely to walk around singing Tur-tley-lee-hee-hee Turtl-hoo-ooh around the house, a fun song that describes a turtle seen at the library. Other songs like “Under the Moon” take a walk with an elephant and meet up with an owl and kangaroo or make kids feel weird in the “Hobbly Dobbly House” where everything is odd are fun to sing to also. Songs like Robbie Robot, Hot Chocolate Fairy and Sea Water capture children’s imagination by bringing objects to life. The Hot Chocolate Fairy is warm and chocolatey, Sea Water wants more water and she waves and waves...Music Box is a CD filled with child friendly creative songs that delight the ear. Full of fun sounds that animals make or that occur in nature, children will have fun listening and dancing to it. -Sheri Harper, Preschoolentertainment.com
We just had the opportunity to listen to Mary Kaye’s new CD, Music Box. Mary Kaye is an award-winning children’s musician from Maine who combines a very sophisticated vocal style with lovely children’s themes and sounds. Mary Kaye’s rich voice reminds me of Natalie Merchant or Sarah McLachlan, but her songs are written with children’s needs in mind. She utilizes a lot of repetition and silly sounds that keep young kids interested and entertained, like in the beep-boop song Robbie Robot, and she also plays with alliteration and funny word combinations that kids find irresistible, like in the funny rhyme song Tasting Tea. Definitely keep your eyes out for this one—it’s a perfect mix of beautiful vocals and kid’s music.
-Bostonchildrensmusic.com
My kids love music of all kinds, from jump and dance music to mellow and sweet music. When we popped in our new CD Music Box from Maine based artist, educator & mom Mary Kaye, we were instantly grooving and chilling out. Mary Kaye’s voice is hypnotic and the lyrics are fun and fresh. Every time we hear “Hot Chocolate Fairy” the kid’s eyes light up with imagination. When the kids get wild and crazy in the car, I put in our Music Box CD and they instantly stop to listen. I like that the music instantly captures them and that the songs are easy to learn and sing a long with. The Music Box CD has now found a permanent home in my son’s CD player. He loves to listen to Mary Kaye’s sweet voice as he relaxes before supper and before he goes to sleep. With songs like “Sleepy Land” and “Under the Moon” soothing him, he quickly releases his tension and sings along to the music. -Chelle, Theopinionatedparent.com
If you haven’t ever heard of Mary Kaye and her previous 3 CDs (I Sang It Just For You, Mouse Jamboree, and Spin Your Web) then you might want to get to know her and her music. With a voice that Parenting Magazine says is reminiscent of Natalie Merchant, Mary Kaye’s 12 new imaginative songs are original, creative, and are simply delightful. I love listening to her melodic voice as I hear her tunes coming from Little Miss Techie’s room. -www.techsavvymama.com
The songs are fun, silly and very melodic, all at the same time. We bounced around, got our respective grooves on, sang along (my kids especially love singing to the "Bug" song...go figure!) and enjoyed the Music Box CD immensely. Mary Kaye has a quality to her voice that is so mesmerizing that you enjoy listening to it many times over--which is a good thing for adults with kids like mine who want to hear the same thing over and over again !! The words are clear and easy to hear, which I appreciate very much, and the stories behind the songs are so cute and realistic. -Happy Healthy Families.com
I realize how lucky I am to have the chance to review some incredible children’s products. Music Box, a newly released CD from song writer Mary Kaye, is one of those wonderful discoveries that took me by surprise. The first song on Music Box, Under the Moon, made me think, “This is what Sarah McLachlan might sound like if she employed the use of onomatopoeic animal sounds.” Which she totally should. Then I was again surprised by the 80’s-esque vibe in the song about Robbie Robot. If anything lends itself to 80’s digi beats, it would be a song about robots for sure! I’m a big 80’s music fan. I have the urge to do The Belinda to tunes like this. The songs on Music Box are fun to listen to…whimsical…
-Mom Most Traveled,com
Winner Dr. Toy Best Play and Learn Vacation Products 2009 and Creative Child Magazine's 2009 Preferred Choice Award.
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