Miss Amy

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. - Ewing Observer, January 2006

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!
- John Wood Review, 2005

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. - Tiffany Rahn / Artsonia, Nov 2006

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.
- Moms On The Move, Linda Swain, NBC 10 Oct 2005

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.
- Ionian Productions, Inc. / Paul Temple, Aug 2005

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.
- Ewing Observer, Joe Emanski October 2004

Spending an hour with Miss Amy and her video producer Roger Bessler, seems like five minutes. Their energy and enthusiasm is genuine and contageous. - WNJC, Jim Strait - October 2006