MP3 Mae Robertson - Dream

Lullabies and Lovesongs

14 MP3 Songs
KIDS/FAMILY: Lullabies, FOLK: Folk Pop



Details:
Not so long ago, Mae Robertson was the owner of three children's stores in the Northeast. When her friend Don Jackson overheard her singing the traditional folk song, "The Water is Wide," as a lullaby to her baby, he convinced her to record a suite of traditional and contemporary songs as lullabies.

In total, three award-winning albums, All Through The Night, The Sun Upon The Lake Is Low and Sweet Dreams of Home, won Mae remarkable reviews ("Her vocals are pure, spun gold," raved the Los Angeles Times) and a growing audience. The albums were all named Notable Recordings by The American Library Association, and they all won awards from Parents' Choice, North American Parenting Publications and The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.

Growing up in Alabama, Mae was first influenced by the folk collections of her older brothers and sister. Later, she gravitated toward singer-songwriters because, like traditional folk music, their songs were lyric-driven. "I have always been drawn to the poetry and the story, and they are what always attract me first to a song."

In 2000, Mae and her family moved back to Birmingham, Alabama after 20 years in and around New York City. That same year she recorded Stone by Stone, her first album targeting a grownup audience, which included her own compositions as well as the work of other songwriters. "I enjoyed choosing material that was more complex musically and emotionally," she said. "It opened a whole new world of potential songs, and I began to keep a running list of dozens of songs I wanted to record."

So it was no surprise that for her next recording Mae decided to do an album of songs written by other people. "I was in the process of selecting material when the attacks of September 11th occurred. For a few months, I didnât sing or even listen to music. As I slowly returned to music, I instinctively began to sing songs that I felt would help me grieve or help me heal." These songs became the centerpiece of her album, Smile, recorded in Nashville in the spring of 2002.

Her love for singer/songwriter genre led Mae to found "The Troubadour Series," an ongoing concert program now in its fourth season, featuring a slate of nationally touring acoustic artists. Staged at the WorkPlay Theatre in Birmingham this very popular series has made a significant contribution to the Birmingham music scene.

In 2004, Mae reached another milestone with December Sky. Recorded in Nashville, it features seasonal songs of winter and Christmas in an assortment of genres -- traditional, spiritual and contemporary -- presented in acoustic settings, revealing the simple beauties within. "The theme of the record is that hope that can be found even in the coldest winter or on darkest night."

Whether she's singing sweet lullabies for children or creating sophisticated words for adults, Mae Robertson's personal vision is the mortar in her artistry. "Sharing music with an audience is as wonderful and rewarding as anything I can imagine. My hope is that listeners will connect with the beauty of the lyrics and the truth in the melodies."