Battersby Duo

Artist Information

Biography

The Battersby Duo At A Glance

The Battersby Duo first broke onto the Children's music scene in 1983.
Their backgrounds in Early Childhood Development, Sociology and Philosophy helped them formulate ideas for writing songs for children that nurtured and helped young minds in the building block stages of their development.

By 1989 the Battersby Duo were the hosts of Kids Place, the Emmy award winning TV show, then made guest appearances on Sesame Street and The Today Show on NBC. Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood said of his friends "We will remember with pleasure that The Battersby's are a part of our neighborhood."

1992 heralded the dawn of classic BatDuo music with the release of "A Tail of Too Sillies." and songs like "I'm a Germ" "Pat your Hands," and "Elephant's Toenails" became classics with families around the USA.

The American Library Association called The Duo "A Banquet of Silliness designed to please the most refined of Juvenile Palates."

While performing at a Sesame Street program in Washington DC in 1993 a friend of Hillary Clinton, who was attending the show, saw The Duo, and was so impressed with their abilities, that she mentioned them to the First Lady who a month or so later, invited them to perform for her and the children of Washington, at The White House. The Battersby's were invited to perform for the next 6 years for The President and First Lady at numerous White House functions. They also performed at numerous fundraisers, including the now historic "Our Children our Future" rally of 1993/4

At the height of their career Tim and Laura were performing to more than 20 kids a year. :-)

The Battersby Duo is a touring band for Children and Families. They tour 200 days a year performing to Children and Families between the ages of Stroller and 10. Winners of 3 Parents Choice Awards and an Emmy, they've performed 6 times at The White House for the President of the United States, and are considered to be one of the finest Musical Comedy Teams for Children and Families in the USA today. They perform in Theatres, Schools, Libraries and Festivals and have appeared at The Kennedy Center, The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, The Filene Center, Wolf Trap's Theatre in the Woods, The Fairfax Fair, The Herndon Festival, The Marcus Center, The Piccolo Spoleto Festival, and Sesame Street PEP and The Savannah Music Festival

The Battersby Duo has also appeared on the Today Show on NBC, and were hosts of the popular Children's TV series "Kid's Place" in the 1980's and early 1990's. They have also appeared on TV shows on PBS, CBS, ABC, UPN, Fox and NBC and have influenced millions of Children over the past 3 decades with their wacky wisdom and innovative music.
The Battersby's have just released their first adult CD in 25 years under their adult band name Cross Creek called A Storm is Coming.
The Battersby Duo are endorsed by Taylor Guitars and this year are celebrating their very first GRAMMY nomination for Sunny Days.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

"A Top Notch Duo." Sesame Street PEP

"A Banquet of silliness designed to please the most refined of juvenile palates." The American Library Association

"We will remember with pleasure that The Battersby's are a part of our neighborhood." Mr. Rogers Neighborhood

"A thousand happy Kids had the best time of their lives." Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

"Goofy, wacky and whimsical, The Battersby Duo's music shines." School Library Journal

"Battersby Duo songs effervesce with off-the-wall humor, unexpected lyrics and a dash of British quirkiness." Parents Choice

"The Battersby Duo is a National Treasure." Senator Bob Graham

"The Battersby’s are naturals for our audiences.” Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts

"Taking zaniness to new levels." St Pete Times

“Rarely do our marble walls and chandeliers witness such levels of silliness, as The Battersby’s inspire in their audiences of Children and Parents.” The Kennedy Center

"When Mr. Tim and Ms Laura go on stage, it's Kiddie Vaudeville, complete with songs, sight gags and one liners. Kids go bananas for The Battersby Duo." The Tampa Tribune

“Hip Folk-Rock from the Dynamic Duo.” John Wood kidzmusic.com

"Though disguised as goofy frivolous fun, The Battersby Duo's antics and songs simmer with serious themes. The Battersby Duo's songs offer honest non-threatening glimpses into a Childs world of understanding and imagination. Their beautiful voices and pleasing music shine." School Library Journal

The Battersby Duo are always a huge hit with the Kids and their Parents.” Hillary Clinton.

"The Battersby Duo provides a wonderful mix of Melody, Energy, Sweetness and Humor." Kimbo Ed.

“A thousand happy Kids had the best time of their lives." Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

"Goofy wacky and whimsical are all adjectives to describe the musical antics of The Battersby Duo. Their beautiful voices shine. School Library Journal

Kids go bananas for The Battersby Duo." The Tampa Tribune

Instrumentation

Tim Battersby - Guitar, Piano .Vocals
Laura Battersby - Vocals

Discography

Sunny Days.released in 10/20/2010.Nominated for a GRAMMY
A Storm is Coming released 11/21/2009
Painting Box DVD release January 1st 2009
Painting Box..release date 2008
Color Magic October 2007
A Tail of Too Sillies May 1992
Too Sillies Two February 1999
By the Book. March 1995
These CD's can be purchased at: CD Baby, Amazon, Best Buy and 2500 stores around the world. Please visit www.battersbyduo.com for more information.

Official Website

http://www.battersbyduo.com

Links

• Purchase our CD's and DVD
• The BatDuo Biography
• Battersby Duo on You Tube
• Cross Creek Official website
• All CD's on sale at CD Baby

Audio

• Out On The Town Again
  Listen  
• Sunny Days
  Listen  
• Flat Screen Daddy
  Listen  
• 01 Hey Baby
  Listen  
• R O T S (Dance it out) Reprise
  Listen  
• Bubbles of Fun
  Listen  
• Brilliant Day
  Listen  
• I'm a Germ
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Bubbles of Fun
• Sunny Days
• Rhythm of the Sway
• That Magical Youth
• Brilliant Day
• Precious Friend
• Hey Baby
• Out on the Town Again
• I'm a Germ

Video

Bubbles of Fun

Photo Gallery

Press

• 2010 new CD review [+ Show ]
  

  First things first: "A Storm Is Coming" sounds lovely. The singing and playing are full of relaxe...First things first: "A Storm Is Coming" sounds lovely. The singing
  and playing are full of relaxed confidence, a gentle sway that draws
  the listener in. It's tinged with country, spiced with a little
  blues, and centered around a rhythmic kind of small-group folk-rock
  that never stops leaning forward. You could lie in a hammock and
  listen to this all night.
  
  Then phrases from the lyrics seep into your consciousness: "It's just
  business, he said, as he smiled so seriously ..." (to a tune that
  puts a smile on your face). And: "Mrs Jones, we regret that your son
  has been killed in the war ..." Or: "I remember a time when a tousled
  haired child went walking with old Father Time ..." As the words sink
  in, you start to understand that this is seriously adult music, made
  by people who have lived, and learned to accept their lives as they
  really are, not just as they wish they were. It's not exactly
  political, it's just real. Even the joyful "Out on the Town Again"
  includes the wry commentary: "So now I've cast my hook and all I
  see, / Are glimpses of my insecurity. / I never want to feel this way
  again; / I never want to feel the same."
  
  Tim and Laura have spent years singing silly for kids -- but kids are
  a tough audience, and the kids certainly knew (even if they didn't
  know they knew) that the Battersby Duo could be silly about lost
  socks and elephants' toenail pizza precisely because their hearts
  were always in the right place. They always encouraged children to
  read and learn and appreciate the world around them. Now, under the
  name Cross Creek (just so no one gets confused), they are singing for
  the parents, and for themselves.
  
  Will this recording change the world? I doubt it, and I don’t think
  it's really meant to. It’s just part of the world, and the world is
  better for that

• Concert Review
  

  The Battersby Duo is a National Treasure.

• A Tail of Too Sillies Review [+ Show ]
  

  "From the game song "Pat your hands," to the very latest in silliness "I'm a germ,” this performance..."From the game song "Pat your hands," to the very latest in silliness "I'm a germ,” this performance is a banquet of silliness designed to please the most refined of juvenile palates. In addition The Battersby's have
  thrown in a few jokes. This change of pace provides exactly the variety that makes this production truly
  excellent. Mr. Tim and Ms Laura, as they are known to the children, have beautiful voices and impeccable diction, and sound effects are used with taste, and invariably enhance the overall performance. Of special
  interest is, "Attilla the Fun," a song that touts the joys of reading. The clever lyrics and upbeat
  rhythms, combined with ample variety makes this an appealing collection."
  

• Too Sillies Two. CD Review [+ Show ]
  

  Mr. Tim and Ms Laura, The Battersby Duo, must be a hoot in concert, their offbeat banter endearing t...Mr. Tim and Ms Laura, The Battersby Duo, must be a hoot in concert, their offbeat banter endearing them to listeners of all ages. Tim's English accent and Laura's melodious voice often, but not always, echo his silly and her straight roles in this collection of 15 original songs. While ostensibly the sane partner. Laura can be bizarre too, as she assumes the personas of an orange and a pineapple in tandem with Tim's grapefruit and lemon in the Monty Python-esque "Citrus Song." Tim's tongue-in-cheek "blues" are as pleasant as Laura's voice is; some songs dangerously flirt with mellow, as in the life-affirming "An Eagle Flies" and "The Miracle." The Battersby's are all over the stylistic map with a lesson on primary colors, barnyard animals, family togetherness, and the dignity due to those who are different.
  This album will prompt kids to sing along to these too too silly and perfectly engaging songs - John Sigwald
  
  

• CD Review. Too Sillies Two [+ Show ]
  

  The Battersby Duo, the wife and husband team of Laura and Tim Battersby, wrote the 15 songs on the r...The Battersby Duo, the wife and husband team of Laura and Tim Battersby, wrote the 15 songs on the recording, and provide all the voices and music as well. This is one of the technically best recordings I have heard in a while; the balance and interweaving of voices and music are just about perfect The songs which include -The Citrus Song," "Daddy's Cantata " "The Farmyard Blues," and a great song on colors;  Color me Eric," sometimes have an English flavor. Tim Battersby was born in London and retains his accent which he often puts to use to elicit laughter. The Duo has performed in concert at many prestigious places including Wolftrap's Filene Center.the Spoleto Festival.The White House and The Kennedy Center. Fans of their live performances will enjoy listening to this. Those unfamiliar with them will be able to sing-along using printed lyrics. Elaine Thomas.

• CD Review.A Tail of Too Sillies [+ Show ]
  

  "Goofy wacky and whimsical are all adjectives to describe the musical antics of The Battersby Duo. ..."Goofy wacky and whimsical are all adjectives to describe the musical antics of The Battersby
  Duo. Beneath the facade of silliness the "Too Sillies," get children to use their imaginations. to read. to write and to become interested in literature through song and interactive theatrics. Their songs offer honest, non-
  threatening glimpses in to a child's world of understanding and imagination. Their beautiful voices and pleasing music shine. A Tail of Too Sillies, is great for family listening fun. and Public Libraries will find it a welcome addition to their audio-visual collections."
  

• "SIGNIFICANT SILLINESS FROM THE BATTERSBY DUO." [+ Show ]
  

  "By the Book," the new children's album by The Battersby Duo, encourages reading whistling singing b..."By the Book," the new children's album by The Battersby Duo, encourages reading whistling singing bathing, self-reliance and Elvis Presley impersonations. By goofily paying Elvis lip service, Tim and Laura provide parents with what will surely be viewed as a valuable service-a simple, folksy and most entertaining mixture of harmony ,rhythm, advice and adventure. Many good songs on this new album by the "shamelessly goofy" Battersby Duo. One, entitled, "Mr. Significant," has a live report from the 14th annual
  convention of silly people. The title song," By the Book," encourages children in their pursuit of literature. (a recurring theme in Battersby songs.) Add, "The Copycat Song," an interactive game song, set to a 12 bar blues, and it's plain to see why "By the Book," is not a bad buy."
  

• Concert Review [+ Show ]
  

  Battersby Duo songs effervesce with off-the-wall humor, unexpected lyrics and a dash of British quir...Battersby Duo songs effervesce with off-the-wall humor, unexpected lyrics and a dash of British quirkiness.

• Concert Review [+ Show ]
  

  “Rarely do our marble walls and chandeliers witness such levels of silliness, as The Battersby’s ins...“Rarely do our marble walls and chandeliers witness such levels of silliness, as The Battersby’s inspire in their audiences of Children and Parents.”

• The Battersby Duo in Concert [+ Show ]
  

  "When Mr. Tim and Ms Laura go on stage, it's Kiddie Vaudeville, complete with songs, sight gags and ..."When Mr. Tim and Ms Laura go on stage, it's Kiddie Vaudeville, complete with songs, sight gags and one liners. Kids go bananas for The Battersby Duo."

• "SUNNY DAYS by The Battersby Duo IS A WONDERFUL NEW CHILDREN'S CD." [+ Show ]
  

  Former elementary school teachers and award-winning performers, Tim and Laura (The Battersby Duo), p...Former elementary school teachers and award-winning performers, Tim and Laura (The Battersby Duo), present 11 fun songs. Their voices harmonize beautifully together, and in places their sound is similar to that of Peter, Paul & Mary, as they utilize various styles of folk, rock, and country music. They are joined by some excellent musicians who perform on piano, bass, guitar, pedal steel guitar, dobro, fiddle, mandolin, violin, and drums. “Sunny Days” reminisces about family camping vacations at the beach. “Rhythm of the Sway” is a participatory dance tune. “Flat Screen Daddy” boasts about his 60-inch, wall-mounted flat screen. In “Hey Seuss: A Treebute,” Tim uses a gravelly voice and English accent to extol the many wonderful books that Dr. Seuss wrote. Other songs include “Bubbles of Fun,” “Precious Friend,” “It’s a Brilliant Day,” “How About Dessert?” “Here I Come,” “Shanny’s Song,” and “It’s Smart to Be Smart.” A wonderful album that will appeal to both children and adults.–Beverly Wrigglesworth, San Antonio Public Library, TX
  

Setlist

A Battersby Duo Concert lasts between 45 and 60 minutes depending on the venue
Set Lists vary, depending upon the age group of the audiences but typically are picked from the following songs:
I'm a Germ

Kid's Place

Pat your Hands

Mr Mirror

Attilla the Fun

Is there more to life than Pizza

Ode to Muswell Hill

The Presidents Song

The Apple Pie Song

Oh My Teddy Bear

A Topical Tropical day

Strangers

Let's Be Friends

 
The Citrus Song

Colour Me Eric

Buttercup the Bovine

Rachel

Daddy's Cantata

Sailing the Windermere

Round the Bend

I'd like to learn it all

The Flea is Me...I'm free

I am Proud

Mr Tim's Blue

An Eagle Flies

The Farmyard Blues

The Miracle

Elephants Toenails

The Bumble Bee Song

You Can do Anything My Friend

The Elvis Lip

Bathtime can be lots of Fun

By the Book

The Copycat Song

Mr Significant

I'm a Library

Thomas learns to ride a bike

Summer in New York

The longest name in the World

Lyrics and soundbytes can be found at www.battersbyduo.com

Basic Requirements

Calendar