
Welcome to your Backstage Pass!
This is the insider guide to the inspiration behind each of our our 13 songs on this album. View all of the behind the scene videos, lyrics, audio and images.
Here is our handy production workflow chart. It's fitting to begin by sharing this artifact because we used this piece of paper to track our whole recording process. Editorial notes were erased and checked off as we completed the various steps in our production. Here's the insiders look:

Track 1:
Community
We’ve got Community with a capital C
C-O-Double M-U-N-I-T-Why?
Because we lift each other up
We don’t tear each other down
We’ve got Community with a capital C
C-O-Double M-U-N-I-T-Why?
Because we lend a helping hand
And we do the best we can!
About this song:
Bronwyn created this song for the City of Lambertville during the immediate aftermath of hurricane Ida. Despite the stress and sadness experienced by our beautiful city, it was inspirational to see all the helping hands that leapt into action. Shop-owners helping other businesses, neighbors literally knee deep in muck in each other’s yards and basements. Those that couldn’t do the literal “heavy lifting” found other ways to help, such as assisting with filing paperwork, providing hot meals, or (as in the case of our own kids) walking all over the town delivering cookies and songs with a smile to anyone who seemed to need it.

About the recording:
Most of the songs on this album we did 100% by ourselves….But it felt wrong to not include our community in a song that is all about them! So for this song we invited a whole bunch of local kiddos to take part on the chorus. They learned the song with only a couple days notice and came to the Birdhouse to rehearse and record in just 1 half hour. In our opinion, they knocked it out of the park!
We also featured one of our much-loved friends and community orchestra member, AnnaLee Pauls. Bronwyn has a not so secret love for music from the 1920’s, especially the Andrew’s sisters, and she wanted that vibe for this song. This meant a horn section was an absolute must. Luckily, Annalee can play just about anything you ask her to. We gave her the instrumental section and she came up with all of her parts herself. Layering one Annalee on top of the other was just the “parade” effect we were looking for.

Track 2:
Don’t Pick Your Nose
Don’t, don’t, don’t pick your nose
No matter how tempting
the boogers that grow
If you try to pick there
your picker might stick there
So don’t, don’t, don’t pick your nose
Don’t, don’t, don’t twirl your hair
No matter how tempting the curl that lies there
If you keep on spinning your hair will start thinning
So don’t, don’t, don’t twirl your hair
Don’t, don’t, don’t bite your nails
Their texture is tough and their flavor quite stale
If you catch yourself chewing, just stop what you’re doing
Don’t, don’t, don’t bite your nails
It’s hard to remember these rules and these don’ts
I know you might forget them but I hope that you won’t….
Don’t, don’t, don’t!
About this song:
Perhaps you can guess where the inspiration to this song came from? I don’t think anyone has made it through childhood without at least one of these habits. In fact, many of us adults, though we might not admit it, still do some of these things! We won’t say which of our family members are guilty of which (feel free to guess), but Bronwyn is comfortable admitting that nail biting was a struggle for her all the way through until she had her own kids. Weird fact, your nails become too hard to bite when you are pregnant, so this was her magic cure (though we don’t recommend trying it!).
A direct inspirational quote by 5 year old willow:

Track 3:
Dandelion
Dandelion, you are so fine
I’m gonna pick you and make you mine
Though some may say you are a weed
You’re the prettiest blossom I ever did see
Dandelion, you are so fine
I’m gonna pick you and make you mine
And when it’s time for you to go
I’ll make a wish…..
And watch you blow (like the falling snow)
About this song:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Bronwyn has always loved the color yellow and has never been able to understand why dandelions are typically hated. Much to the dismay of our very orderly church neighbors, who spray their yards with all sorts of chemicals, if you visit our yard at a certain time of year you will find it thickly carpeted in dandelions. When Willow was a toddler, she and Bronwyn would spend many hours in that yard picking dandelions, linking them into beautiful crowns, and eventually making all kinds of wishes blown off into the winds. It was on one of these whimsical dandelion picking afternoons that Bronwyn created this song. As Willow got older we took it a step further and together we harvested the dandelions using the greens for salads, and baking the yellow petals into delicious muffins and breads.
Track 4:
The Goose
Oh you know it’s spring when you step outside
And a big long neck with two beady eyes
Comes flying from the bushes with a hiss so you shout
It’s a goose (honk!), you better watch out!
It’s a goose (honk!), you better watch out!
You say Mr. Goose you better be nice
I’m bigger than you and your goosey wife
He doesn’t care with a honk and a hiss
It’s a goose (honk!) coming in for a kiss
He flaps his wings and stretches his neck
He’s a papa goose just tryin’ to protect
The mama and her eggs sitting in their nest
He's a goose (honk!) just doing his best!
A goose (honk!) just doing his best!
So there’s only one thing that you can do…..
That’s pretend to be a big goose too…..
So flap you wings give a honk and a shout
I'm a goose (honk!), you better watch out!
I'm a goose (honk!), you better watch out!
A goose (honk!), you better watch out!
Oh flap your wings high in the air
Give a honk and a hiss and a glare
Stretch your neck and give a shout
I’M A GOOSE (HONK!) you better watch out!
About this song:
If you have ever spent any time in the Spring walking the canal paths of the Delaware River, or perhaps visited a pond or lake, then you probably have your own tale to tell of a goose encounter. Bronwyn grew up with a pond beside her house which was the annual home of several geese families. This often made it challenging to make it from the house to chicken coop without the need for a suit of armor or a super soaker to defend oneself, because the mama goose liked to make her nest right in the middle. Bronwyn also has a special love of geese, because as a child her family rescued an injured Canada goose. The local ark said nothing could be done and that the goose would just die in the wild. So this goose became a close family pet, even joining them on vacations and staying in the hotel bathtub!
Production Notes:
Here is the earliest recording of The Goose song. Bronwyn improvised the melody and lyrics while she recorded the audio into her phone.
Track 5:
Dilly Dally
Hey dilly dilly, hey dally dally, hey dilly dally ho!
Sometimes when you dilly dilly dally you can be so slow
You could be like me, and hurry up yes please
Or I could be like you, and be a dilly dilly dally too.
Slow poke, slow poke, slow poke, slow poke
Hey dilly dilly, hey dally dally, hey dilly dally ho!
Sometimes when you dilly dilly dally you can be so slow
You could be like me, and hurry up yes please
Or I could be like you, and be a dilly dilly dally too.
Slow poke, slow poke, slow poke, slow poke
(hurry hurry hurry, hurry hurry hurry etc)
Hey dilly dilly, hey dally dally, hey dilly dally ho!
Sometimes when I dilly dilly dally I can be so slow
I could be like you, and hurry up it’s true
Or surely then you’d see, you’d be a dilly dally just like me
We’d dilly dilly dally, dally dilly dilly, dilly dally happily!
About this Song:
If you have ever tried to go anywhere in a hurry with anyone under the age of 5 then you understand this song. Then again, if you have ever been under the age of 5 you understand the complete indignation of a “grown-up” trying to rush you around. This song was created on a walk down George St. with Wilow and Aurelia in which Bronwyn was trying to get home quickly. The kiddos reminded her, in the way that kids often do, that important things sometimes are not in fact so important, and seemingly unimportant things sometimes are the most important of all. Pick up the rocks. Smell the flowers. Make a wish!
Bronwyn around age 4 playing her first accordion & Bronwyn 2023
Track 6:
Weather the Weather
As I got up one morning, I took a look outside
Just as the son was dawning I knew I must decide
What to put on my body to start the day cause I never let a bit of weather get in my way
I just listen to what it has to say…
Oh the cold keeps telling me to put on my coat,
put on my coat, put on my coat
The cold keeps telling me to put on my coat, and come on out and play
Cause it’s gonna be a really great day
Oh the rain keeps telling me to put on my boots
Put on my boots, put on my boots
The rain keeps telling me to put on my boots, and come on out and play
Cause it’s gunna be a really great day
Never let a little bit of weather get in your way
Oh the snow keeps telling me to get out my sled
Get out my sled, get out my sled
The snow keeps telling me to get out my sled, and come on out and play
Cause it’s gonna be a really great day
Oh the wind keeps telling me to put on my scarf
Put on my scarf, put on my scarf
the wind keeps telling me to put on my scarf, and come on out and play
Cause it’s gonna be a really great day
Never let a little bit of weather get in your way
Oh the thunder keeps telling me to come back inside
Come back inside, come back inside
The thunder keeps telling me to come back inside….
But it’s gonna be just fine
It won’t be very long before we get to go outside!

Cause it’s gonna be a really great day
Never let a little bit of weather…….
get in…….your…..way!
About this Song:
Some songs take weeks, some take just minutes. Willow and Bronwyn wrote this song together on a cold snowy day while waiting outside of her dance class with her sister and cousins all piled into the big blue van. We got to class a little early and needed to fill some time, so Willow came up with most of the words. Bronwyn helped put them into a song structure and together they made up a melody. By the time it was time for dance class, the whole song was created and sung into Bronwyn’s phone voice memo for safe keeping.
Production Notes:
Justin fried food and recorded the sound to capture our rain samples.
Wind was recorded by capturing a HVAC split unit set to high blast. Moving a thin foam square to block and release airflow into a microphone created syncopated air rhythms to accompany the instruments.
Justin recorded snow footstep samples by placing baking powder in a cloth napkin, twisting the contents into a ball, and kneeding to produce sound. The snow shoe samples were not used because Bronwyn said it sounded like breaking wind. You be the judge?
Track 7:
Seesaw
First I’m up, up, up, up, up
Then I’m down, down, down, down, down
Seesaw, seesaw, seesawing around!
First I’m up, up, up, up, up
Then I’m down, down, down, down, down
Seesaw, seesaw, seesawing around!
When I’m way up high I can touch the sky
When I’m way down low I can touch my toes
When I’m way up high I see all my friends
Then I come back down again
It’s seesaw, seesaw, seesawing around
seesaw, seesaw, seesawing around!
About this Song:
Can you guess where this song was written? Yes, the playground! We are so fortunate to have the lovely Cavello Park in our town. While Bronwyn loves spending time with her kids there, she is not someone that likes to just stand around for long. The solution is to use the time to make up songs! This song has since evolved to be a favorite in our kids classes. You can put your kiddo on your lap and use your knees to create the up and down motions (bound to get some giggles), or use a great big parachute for a full group experience, or grab your favorite scarves and make them go up and down. If you are a bigger kid you can see if you can stand and then squat (extra fun if you sing the song fast!)

Production Notes:
Sound effects are essential in kids music, in our opinion. We featured a slide whistle and a wood flute on this song. We also used recorder. Fun fact, as a kid Bronwyn and her family used to be a 4-part recorder ensemble, performing for school assemblys and local events!
Slide whistle sound sample:
Wood whistle sample:
Recorder sample:
Track 8:
Treehouse
This is my house up in a tree where I can be who I want to be
Don’t be fooled if you see me, as somebody else up in my tree
Some days I’m a monkey that swings branch to branch
Some days I’m a pilot from London to France
Some days I’m a king looking over his land
Some days I’m a captain who’s taking command
I may be as many as ten things a day, but whoever I am you can still hear me say…
This is my house up in a tree where I can be who I want to be
Don’t be fooled if you see me, as somebody else up in my tree
Swinging, laughing, morning till evening
Swinging, laughing, don’t stop believing!
I sneak like a robber who’s looking for gold
I’m fierce as an Eskimo out in the cold
I’m strong as a lion you may hear me ROAR!
I’m all of these things and so many much more
This is my house up in a tree where I can be who I want to be
Don’t be fooled if you see me, as somebody else up in my tree (x3)

About this Song:
Everybody that has ever had a treehouse thinks theirs is the most magical place ever….but truly, Bronwyn’s childhood treehouse was one of a kind and the inspiration behind this song. A handmade, multi-story structure with a wooden rollercoaster coming off the second floor (complete with a caterpillar tunnel). Much of the day was spent in a world of imagination up in this treehouse, and it was only at the end of the day when the dinner bell rang that Bronwyn and her 3 siblings would come back to earth. When she moved and had to leave the treehouse behind, Bronwyn and her brother Devin build their own house in the woods in their new town. It may not have been a treehouse, but it was surrounded by trees and so the adventures continued. Now Willow and Aurelia have the good fortune of being able to visit their Gizmo and Gadget’s magical treehouse any time they want (indeed another magical place with slides, pulleys, and stained-glass windows).
Track 9:
Pick Me Up
If you wonder what I’m saying when I wake you up at night
I will tell you what I mean so you wont wonder when I scream…..
I’m really saying:

Mommy, pick me up
Pick me up don’t put me down
Mommy pick me up
Pick me up and spin me round
If you wonder what I’m saying
when I wake up from my nap
I will tell you what I mean
so you wont wonder when I scream…..
I’m really saying:
Mommy, pick me up
Pick me up don’t put me down
Mommy pick me up
Pick me up and spin me round
Once in a while, to keep you on your toes, I will change my message so that it goes…
Daddy, pick me up
Pick me up don’t put me down
Daddy pick me up
Pick me up and spin me round
Mommy, pick me up
Pick me up don’t put me down
Daddy, pick me up
Pick me up and spin me round (repeat)
About this Song:
This was written when Willow was just a baby and seemingly wanted to be picked up and held every second of the day. As she was also nursing round the clock, it was often a cry to be picked up specifically by mom. This song celebrates that short-lived time of life that feels like forever in the moment. The backpain, the new-found biceps, the tears, and of course….the joy!
Track 10:
Bathtime
You put one foot in, and test the water out
You put the other foot in, you swish it all about
You put both feet in and you splish and you splash
Because it’s bathtime, bathtime
You put one knee in, and test the water out
You put the other knee in, you swish it all about
You put both knees in and you splish and you splash
Because it’s bathtime, bathtime
Everybody knows at the end of the day
That it’s time to wash the dirt away (x2)
Because it’s bathtime, bathtime
Everybody knows that it’s – Bathtime!
Bathtime, bathtime
At the end of the day it's – Bathtime!
(Continue with hip, hands, head, whole self etc)
About this Song:
This song was written one night while Willow and Aurelia were in the bathtub. In the original voice memo recording on Bronwyn’s phone you can hear the kids giggling, bickering, and splashing as Bronwyn experiments with melodies and words. It is, of course, inspired by the song the Hokey Pokey and motivated by a need to get the kiddos clean at the end of the day!

About the recording:
Bronwyn and Justin really wanted to recreate the natural feeling of being in the bathtub for this song recording, so no typical instruments were used (guitars and nyckelharpas don’t like to be bathed!). Instead, we did some out of the box thinking and used half empty spray bottles, scrub brushes, and body percussion sounds (flicking the sides of our cheeks to make droplets etc).
Production Notes:
Capturing open mouthed flicks to the cheek created the sound of water drops.
Drum brushes played against a foot bass instrument case resembled a scrub brush sound.
Half full containers of liquid cleaning products and water bottles were recorded to our water sounds.
Track 11:
Hold you, Rock you

I will hold you, I will rock you
Keep you in my arms
If you need me to I’ll be there for you
Keep you from all harm
So hush, hush little baby
Don’t make a sound
Oh hush, hush little baby
I’ll be around
Overlapping part:
I will hold you, I will rock you
I will keep you, safe from harm
About this Song:
This song is one of the only songs on the album that Bronwyn did not write with her own kids in mind. Instead, this song was written for her sister who was on her own journey to motherhood. Alexandra has wanted kids since she was one herself. So, long before she became a mom, Bronwyn wrote this song for her with the intention of gifting it to her if/when the day would come. Luckily that day did indeed come, and when her two beautiful children (Celie and Kira) came into her life, this song was given to the 3 of them.
Track 12:
Senses
Open your eyes, you might be surprised
You might be surprised when you open up your eyes (x2)

Oh it makes sense to use your senses
Count them 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
It makes sense to use your senses
It’s fun to be alive!
Open your ears, tell me what you hear
Tell me what you hear when you open up your ears (x2)
Chorus (x2)
Smell with your nose,
you might smell a rose
You might smell a rose
when you sniff with your nose (x2)
Chorus (x2)
Taste with your mouth,
make the food go south
Make the food go south when you taste with your mouth (x2)
Chorus
Clap with your hands all throughout the land
All throughout the land you can clap with your hands
Touch with your hands all throughout the land
All throughout the land you can touch with your hands
Chorus (x2)
1 – SEE, 2 – HEAR, 3 – SMELL, 4 – TASTE, 5 – TOUCH!
Oh it makes sense to use your senses
It’s fun to be alive!
About this Song:
In addition to being parents, Bronwyn and Justin both work as music therapists and educators. Sometimes we write songs to support something that students/teachers we are with are working on. That is how this particular song came to be! Music can be a fantastic way to reinforce all sorts of academic topics such as science, history, math, as well as social/emotional learning.
Production Notes:
The first version of this song was entitled "Open Your Senses". The album version was shortened to "Senses." You can hear our kids and the hustle and bustle of our family home in the background of the audio.
Track 13:
Tumbling Leaves
You know it’s fall when you walk down the street
And a crunching sound comes from under your feet
As the leaves come tumbling down dear love
The leaves come tumbling down
You know it’s fall when you step back inside
And your kitchen smells like a fresh pumpkin pie
As the leaves come tumbling down dear love
The leaves come a tumbling down
Red and yellow, orange and brown, all of the leaves come a tumbling down….
The leaves come tumbling down dear love
The leaves come a tumbling down The leaves come tumbling down dear love
The leaves come tumbling down
You know it’s fall when there’s apples to eat
And goblins and ghouls who say trick and take treats
The leaves come tumbling down dear love
The leaves come tumbling down
You know it’s fall when the light starts to fade
And darkness comes sooner everyday
The leaves come tumbling down dear love
The leaves come tumbling down
The leaves come tumbling down dear love
The leaves come a tumbling down
Red and yellow, orange and brown, all of the leaves come a tumbling down….
The leaves come tumbling down dear love
The leaves come tumbling down
The leaves come tumbling down dear love The leaves come tumbling down
Red and yellow, orange and brown, all of the leaves come a tumbling down….
The leaves come tumbling down dear love
The leaves come tumbling down
The leaves come tumbling down dear love
The leaves come tumbling down to the ground
The leaves come tumbling down The leaves come a tumbling down
About this Song:
This song was written on a beautiful fall day on a walk back from school with Willow and Aurelia. This particular walk took longer than usual as the ground was covered in leaves that needed to be crunched, jumped upon, and tossed into the air. Once again, by the time we made it home we had a complete song! The melody itself draws influence from Bronwyn’s years spent attending and performing with The Revels (both Philadelphia and Cambridge). This organization celebrates the changing of the seasons through music, dance, and community. We think our Tumbling Leaves song would fit right in!
Production Notes:
Here is the earliest recorded version of this song. Bronywn sang the first rendition into her phone while walking the kids back home from pre-school.
About the Art:
Finding the right art for your album feels a bit like naming your child…..it’s a lot of pressure and a big task! Luckily, we knew Bronwyn’s brother (Devin Bird) would be up to the challenge. Just like the album itself we wanted something that would speak to children and grownups alike. We needed something that would capture the playfulness of our songs, the folk nature, and the community while still also being modern and professional. Devin had previously created all of the woodblock art that is hanging on the walls inside the Birdhouse Center of the Arts, and we knew this was the perfect style. He carved the album art out of a woodblock, printed it, and then played with color. Initially we picked a simple yellow version, but at the last minute we combed through a few of his other versions and stumbled on the wild one. It was a little like finding the right wedding dress….when you know, you know! We think Devin nailed it.

Thank you to all of our kickstarter backers!
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