Miss Amy

Artist Information

Biography

"Miss Amy can rock the room with the best of them", says John Wood of Kidzmusic.com. Breaking records for regional artists at World Cafe Live, drawing huge crowds in Princeton and airing on WXPN's Kids Corner with Kathy O'Connell, Miss Amy lives her motto "Create, Relate & Celebrate who you are!"

A WXPN favorite, her 'I Wanna Know How It Works!' song was voted #5 in the WXPN top 10 children's songs for 2009.

Miss Amy & Her Big Kids Band is built of musicians who “have chops”. Ranging in experience from being opening acts for Marshall Tucker and Lovin' Spoonful to recording with the late Grover Washington Jr., the band members have worked with various other mainstream jazz, funk and rock bands over the years.

Miss Amy is a lively and energetic performer who is versed not only in performance and composition, but is an accredited music educator and fitness instructor. Together the band can caress a gentle lullaby, or rock the house and get the audience moving!

Miss Amy has performed at a variety of locations including the following:

The White House 2010 Egg Roll, Washington, DC
Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, PA
Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia, PA
XPoNential Musicfest, Camden, NJ
Walt Whitman Arts Center, Camden, NJ
The Balloonfest, Readington, NJ
McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ
Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ
Bethlehem Musikfest, Bethlehem, PA
... and many others

Miss Amy is not only a singer/songwriter and high-energy performer, she is accredited with AAAI-ISMA for Kids & Teen Fitness, Yoga I & II, Pilates, Tai-Chi, Primary Aerobics and Pre/Post Natal Fitness. She is also trained as an Exercise Programming Specialist for Older Adults and is a certified Youth/Adolescent Fitness Trainer with AFTA. As an Advocate for the President’s Challenge Program (a program of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports), Miss Amy encourages families to engage in physical activity and inspires young children to work toward earning the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award.

Miss Amy combines her music and fitness focuses to create a unique concert experience called "Fitness Rock & Roll"

Here’s what people are saying about Miss Amy:
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"We can't thank you enough for joining us for the White House Easter Egg Roll and for taking the time to perform for our guests. The day was everything we hoped it would be, and you certainly brought even more sunshine and smiles to the faces of our guests... It wouldn't have been the same without you"
First Lady Michelle Obama, April 2010

"Exactly the energy you need in your classroom!"
Karen Miller-Williams, Director Bright Horizons, September 2010

“Miss Amy’s enthusiasm had the children up off their feet throughout the entire performance. Her knowledge of health and fitness, combined with her accessibility and fun-filled music, made for a particularly fantastic, high-quality show."
- Juliet B. Smith, Programming & Education Assistant, Kimmel Center, Inc., January 2009

“The kids loved Miss Amy as much as she loved playing for them!”
- Charles Bechtel, Executive Director Walt Whitman Arts Center, October 2008

"Miss Amy puts on a fun-filled, energetic show!"
- Joe DeLong, Barnes & Noble Music Manager, September 2008

“Miss Amy is a vivacious and dynamic performer!”
- DJ Mickey, Radio Disney, August 2008

“Absolutely Wonderful! Little kids really get her and she really gets little kids”
- David Hutchman, Please Touch Museum, July 2008

“Miss Amy's ‘I Wanna Know How It Works’ CD is a fantastic way to light children up about electricity, the planets, the sun, the body, weights and measures, and more generally the pursuit of discovery through science. I'm a science geek and I love the way Miss Amy makes science fun!”
- Jennifer Morgan, Author of The Universe Stories & Recipient of the Learning Magazine's Teachers Choice Award and highest review ratings from American Association for the Advancement of Science, April 2008

“I am so enamored of Miss Amy's lively and infectious children's musical recordings that I've included her in FOUR of my books: Children's Jukebox, Something Musical Happened at the Library, Shake and Shout: Movement and Sound Effects songs, and Family Storytime 2!"
- Rob Reid, ALA Celebrated Author & Children’s Programming Expert, January 2008

"Who knew learning could be so much fun! Miss Amy and friends rock the house and deliver great messages with a beat to boot."
- John Wood, KidzMusic.com, November 2007

“Imaginative kids and their families will enjoy the latest CD from Delaware Valley favorite Miss Amy, so I guess that’s everybody. I Wanna Know How It Works is a delightful mix of rock (“Ever Stop to Wonder?”) and reflection (“It’s Not Impossible”). “Weights and Measures” is a rhythmic litany that “makes you wonder how big is a whisper” and rhymes “deciliter” with “Lovely Rita meter maid.” “Amazing Body” challenges us to “swing as high as Venus Williams,” getting us moving at any age.”
- Kathy O'Connell, MetroKids & Host and Co-Producer "Kids Corner" WXPN-FM Philadelphia (Note: Title Track is included in WXPN’s Kids Corner 20th Anniversary CD Feb 2008), November 2007

“Miss Amy offers the perfect fusion of upbeat original music with the enthusiasm and experience of a trained fitness instructor…what parents have been searching for!"
- Laurel Reid, Programming Coordinator, PEAC Health & Fitness, October 2007

“… outstanding! Her warm and friendly personality really shines through her music. … the children are drawn into her performance with dancing and song”
- Allison Santos, Youth Services, Princeton Public Library, August 2007

“Miss Amy’s the real deal!”
- Sally Starr, Children’s TV Personality, July 2006

“Miss Amy brings the ROCK to Rock n' Roll, performing her beautifully original songs with all the life of a party Genie in a bottle!”
- Margie Aretz, President Board of Trustees Montgomery Center for the Arts at 1860 House, May 2006

"Wonderful... Delightful... good luck with your shows!"
- Gene London, Children’s TV Personality, January 2006

“Miss Amy puts on a program that really focuses on the value of our differences and similarities and provides numerous opportunities for celebration through her music, song, and dance highlighting skills that can be applied through life. Wonderful!”
- Raymond Broach, Superintendent, Ewing Public Schools, New Jersey, October 2005

Instrumentation

Miss Amy - lead vocals and guitar
Alex Otey - vocals, keyboard and trumpet
Jim Popik - vocals and guitar
Chris Clark - Bass
Andy Janowiak - percussion

Discography

"Underwater" - Grammy submitted CD 2004
"Wide Wide World" - Grammy submitted CD 2005
"My Precious One" - Grammy submitted CD 2006
"I Wanna Know How It Works!" - Grammy submitted CD 2007
"Fitness Rock & Roll" 2010
Clips of CD singles and streaming video can be found online at www.MissAmyKids.com

Official Website

http://www.MissAmyKids.com

Links

• Miss Amy's Fitness Rock & Roll Ezine

Audio

• Penguin Dance - do the Penguin Dance!
  Listen  
• Say Something - just say it!
  Listen  
• Green Food - not another chip!
  Listen  
• Underwater - let's go underwater!
  Listen  
• I Can Do It Myself - for you do-it-your-selfers!
  Listen  
• Tarantula Tango
  Listen  
• MagicPony
  Listen  
• ImaginationIsland
  Listen  
• Amazing Body
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Penguin Dance
• Say Something
• Green Food
• Underwater
• I Can Do It Myself (The Do Do Song)

Video

Penguin Dance - Miss Amy & Her Big Kids Band

Photo Gallery

Press

• STRAIT-TALKING with Miss Amy [+ Show ]
  

  Spending an hour with Miss Amy and her video producer Roger Bessler, seems like five minutes. Their ...Spending an hour with Miss Amy and her video producer Roger Bessler, seems like five minutes. Their energy and enthusiasm is genuine and contageous.

• Children's musician tabbed for World Cafe [+ Show ]
  

  Ewing resident, Miss Amy, is bringing her high-energy, interactive musical act to the renowned World...Ewing resident, Miss Amy, is bringing her high-energy, interactive musical act to the renowned World Café Live! In addition to featuring popular guests such as Shawn Colvin and Nancy Sinatra, the World Café Live has a weekly, family-friendly concert series where children’s musicians like Dan Zanes and Ralph Covert have performed-- it’s called Peanut Butter and Jams, and Miss Amy is thrilled to be a part of it. So moms and dads-- grab the kids, bring grandma along too and Miss Amy will have everybody dancing around like penguins in no time!!
  
  Miss Amy’s children’s musical career began about ten years ago, when her first child was born a preemie and she suddenly became a stay at home mom. Music helped her to bond with her son in the NICU and to get through a difficult time. Since then, her career has blossomed to include two Grammy-submitted albums and quite a loyal bunch of kid groupies!
  
  She was recently featured on the NBC 10! Show as part of reporter Linda Swain’s Mom’s on the Move stories. More than just a performer, Miss Amy is a music educator. She teaches interactive music classes for children ages newborn to 4, in a series called Kids’ Music Round. And she is a proud participant in the WXPN program, Musicians on Call, bringing smiles to the patients at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with her genuine charisma.
  
  Music is certainly all powerful and Miss Amy’s is no exception. Her songs inspire children to eat green foods, clean up toys and even fall asleep. She tackles subjects such as multiculturalism in a fun, accessible way. For more information on Miss Amy, visit her website www.MissAmyKids.com , which includes a calendar of upcoming local appearances. To schedule an interview, please call Angela Capio at 267-230-5370.

• Miss Amy Kids Gallery Students Share Their Artwork With The World! [+ Show ]
  

  NJ -- Move Over Famous Artists! Miss Amy Kids Gallery artists are taking over the spotlight! Miss Am...NJ -- Move Over Famous Artists! Miss Amy Kids Gallery artists are taking over the spotlight! Miss Amy, the school's Art Teacher, has teamed up with Artsonia, http://www.Artsonia.com -- the world's largest online kid's art museum -- to display the students' artwork.
  
  Anyone can view the school gallery online at http://www.artsonia.com/schools/ and look for "Miss Amy Kids Gallery". Visitors can browse the artwork in the school gallery by grade level, or by specific exhibits. Miss Amy Kids Gallery students join thousands of students from over 100 countries whose artwork is showcased on Artsonia. "This program is a wonderful way to get parents and family members more involved in Art Education," said Miss Amy.
  
  All of Artsonia's one million pieces of artwork are viewable online, and any teacher or parent can create an online art gallery for their child or school. Artsonia provides several online features such as fan clubs and personal guestbooks, as a way for families to encourage the creativity and imaginations of their young artists. In addition, family members can purchase keepsakes imprinted with the child's artwork, with Artsonia donating 15 percent of their annual product revenue back to school art programs.
  
  Headquartered in Chicago, Ill., Artsonia was established in 2000 as an online kid's art museum providing free, educational resources for kids, families and schools to create art projects. Since its inception, Artsonia continues to integrate technology in the classroom, develop multi-cultural understanding through art and increase family involvement in children's education.
  
  To find out more, visit http://www.Artsonia.com or go to Miss Amy's website at http://www.MissAmyKids.com.

• Wide Wide World, Miss Amy, Ionian Productions [+ Show ]
  

  Miss Amy can rock the room with the best of them. She should have youngsters up and dancin' from the...Miss Amy can rock the room with the best of them. She should have youngsters up and dancin' from the first downbeat and fast asleep by the end of the gentle ‘Irish Blessing.' John Wood, Kidzmusic.com.
  Buy Wide Wide World at CDBaby.com and Amazon.com!
  

• Singing and Dancing With Joy! [+ Show ]
  

  A children’s songwriter that gets everyone going. Amy Otey known as Miss Amy has kids and parents, j...A children’s songwriter that gets everyone going. Amy Otey known as Miss Amy has kids and parents, jumping, spinning and acting like fish with children’s songs that rock and teach.
  

• Miss Amy Sings Underwater At The Children's Hospital [+ Show ]
  

  It is an errand of mercy for musicians who perform bedside for patients at hospitals, but one that m...It is an errand of mercy for musicians who perform bedside for patients at hospitals, but one that many cherish. And, what greater good can there be than to ease the suffering of an ailing child stricken to a hospital bed?
  
  Through a program call "Musicians On Call" many artists get the opportunity to do just this.
  
  Founded in 1999 the New York-based "Musicians On Call" program acquires volunteer musicians to promote healing in eight New York hospitals. The Philadelphia based WXPN "Musicians On Call" program is a partnership between WXPN and the New York-based organization, and brings live music to the bedsides of patients in facilities such as The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania.
  
  And, this evening singer/songwriter Miss Amy volunteered her time to bring smiles to the kids and parents at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "It was my goal to make them smile, and they did!" delights Miss Amy. "It is something special to promote healing through music" she adds, "and this is really what the program is all about".
  
  Revered as a children's musician, Miss Amy performed age friendly music for youngsters, including tunes from her Grammy submitted albums Underwater and Wide Wide World, among other children's favorites. Since the age of patients ranged from 2 to 24, Miss Amy also performed some standards that the older crowd could enjoy as well, such a Joni Mitchell favorites and some of Miss Amy's original adult contemporary selections.
  
  For more information about the "Musicians On Call" program go to: http://www.musiciansoncall.org or http://www.xpn.org/moc.php.
  
  For more information about Miss Amy go to: http://www.MissAmyKids.com.
  

• Singing underwater [+ Show ]
  

  Know any good Halloween songs? How about “The Tarantula Tango?” Amy Otey knows that one. She w...Know any good Halloween songs?
  
  How about “The Tarantula Tango?”
  
  Amy Otey knows that one. She wrote it. So do many of Ewing’s children—and their parents—who go to the Ewing Branch of the Mercer County Library on the first Friday of every month to see “Miss Amy” sing.
  
  On Oct. 16, Otey will thrill children of all ages as she and her band take the stage at Parade Fest on The College of New Jersey campus. Parade Fest, this year’s version of Ewing’s traditional Community Fest celebration. She’ll be backed by husband Alex Otey on keyboards and trumpet, electric guitarist Jim Popik, bassist Luke Kessel and drummer Clay Cassell. On other occasions the fivesome performs together as a band known as Wild Rice.
  
  For Parade Fest, they’ll be at the Fun Zone from 11 a.m. to noon, offering up deluxe concert of Amy’s children’s songs, including “The Tarantula Tango,” from her first CD, “Underwater,” plus some surprises.
  
  It’s an opportunity for those who haven’t had a chance to check her out at the library to get a taste of her contagious energy.
  
  A resident of Ewing since 1994, Kansas-native Otey first got the idea to perform at the Ewing Library when she brought her oldest son there for a storytime. A good friend who already knew her as a musician told her she ought to try her hand at performing for kids at the library.
  
  Now she is a treasured regular performer, appealing to kids via her fun, uninhibited style. When she sings her song “Underwater,” she shows off one of her kid-pleasing vocal talents. If she wasn’t sitting and singing right in front of you, guitar in hand, you might think she was actually underwater.
  
  In addition to her monthly library performances, Otey is an instructor for Kids’ Music Round, a specialized music education program for children up to age 5. She is also the music teacher for the preschool program at the children’s center for the Lawrenceville School. She does a weekly children’s program at the Failte Coffehouse in Hopewell as well as children’s birthday parties.
  
  Her CD has been submitted for Grammy consideration through Michael Nise, the producer of Dance Party USA. It has received airplay on WXPN.
  

Setlist

Miss Amy Kids Shows are typically about an hour long and include interactive crowd participation songs from her CDs, such as:
- I'm So Glad To See You
- Penguin Dance
- Underwater
- Butterfly Effect
- 3 Little Pigs
- I Wanna Know How It Works!
- Turn The World Around
- Because
- How It Works
- My Name Is...
... and many more, often by request

Shows are often adjusted to fit the audience and venue. Miss Amy has performed at a variety of locations ranging from small rooms to large concert halls and festival settings.

Miss Amy's shows are highly interactive and get families up & moving.

Basic Requirements

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Calendar