#Elizabeth mitchell you are my sunshine free

We are hoping that for the upcoming tour she’ll be with us. Since then, we do it sometimes and other times we don’t. It was funny, because the very first time she was stunned enough to be in front of an audience that she just sat in the chair and didn’t move. We were in the middle of an Ida tour and had some friends in Seattle who helped us set up a small kid’s show. We did a kid’s show out there three years ago, spring of 2005, when she was 3 about to turn 4. Actually, the very first time that she did was in Seattle.

#Elizabeth mitchell you are my sunshine free

But children all want to move, so we play some early rock and roll, we play Bo Diddley…and then we really get free and play “What Goes On” by the Velvet Underground and by that time everybody’s ready for some crackers or cookies. Songs like “Little Bird”…we sing “Freight Train” and ask them where they want to go on the train today. We don’t really have a band, but we make up for it with enthusiasm…we like to play some quiet songs that really engage the children thoughtfully. Well, it will be me and Dan and Storey, and we perform with our violinist. Can you give us a preview of what the audience might expect during the concerts? I hope it’ll be finished by early 2009, that’s definitely a goal. We’re finishing the new album, the new children’s album. It’s very simple to take out a xylophone, harmonica or drum and start making music with those. It’s a way of expressing love or experiencing joy. Would we ever want to tell our children, “You don’t have a good enough voice to sing”? We have to show them by example that you don’t have to be perfect to sing.

I think that we learn so much from being parents from our children.

How can non-musician parents make collaborative music a more regular part of their family lives? You’ve said in other interviews that you and your husband and daughter often make music together. I think that it relaxes people – it makes people feel a sense of freedom and peace, which we increasingly need. There’s enough space in between the notes, in between the instrumentation and singing, that you can really feel on a human level. I think what we do offers a moment to sort of breathe. There’s a lot of other kind of music that’s also very popular. Why do you think that simple, old-fashioned tunes and organic-sounding music are so popular right now? What’s the appeal to kids – and to adults? Just about the wonder of nature, which is my favorite kind of kid song. We’re going to Japan after we leave Seattle, and we’ve been learning a lot of Japanese children’s songs – they’re great. Once you start asking, you find out that everyone has a song they want to share with you.

So we learn also from listening to our community. We’re lucky we live in Woodstock, where so much good music has come from. He has his ear down to the earth listening. How do you find the music you end up recording, and how do you choose the songs?Įlizabeth Mitchell: We’re just always searching, my husband and I.especially my husband Daniel.

ParentMap: On your CDs, you cover a lot of songs, some well-known, some obscure. Songs by the Carter Family and Woody Guthrie are placed comfortably side-by-side with surprising choices such as Velvet Underground's 'What Goes On' and Leadbelly's 'Sylvie.' Mitchell’s sweet, clear voice and simple arrangements make her recordings ideal for families with small kids - these are easy songs to learn and to sing - but the material will intrigue any adult with an interest in Americana, spirituals, and the blues. Singer Elizabeth Mitchell, along with her husband Daniel Littleton, has released three CDs for kids, You Are My Flower, You Are My Sunshine, and You Are My Little Bird.