When I first received the review copies of the DVD and CDs featuring Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, life was extremely busy in our household. The package sat untouched for a long time, awaiting our enthusiastic discovery. And what a discovery it was! The first time I inserted the Cathy and Marcy's Song Shop: Live in Concert DVD into the player, each one of my children emerged from different parts of our home and quickly made a beeline for the living room, drawn by the humorous and lively music they heard. Since that time, I've heard them singing many of the songs from the Cathy/Marcy collection, and I have to laugh when I hear some of the absurd (but entertaining) lyrics!

Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxel have a repertoire of traditional, contemporary, bluegrass, folk, country, and swing songs, so it's hard to place them into one particular musical category. But together, they have successfully entertained both children and adults alike for over twenty years with their folksy sound, unbelievable harmony, instrumental versatility, and toe-tapping, hand-clapping music. They've won two Grammy awards, received eleven Grammy nominations, released over thirty albums and videos, produced countless live concerts, and performed on radio and television programs all across the United States and many other countries as well. These ladies are busy!

Cathy plays guitar and five string banjo, while Marcy adds her skill on guitar, mandolin, steel drum, hammered dulcimer, and percussion. We all especially liked the hammered dulcimer! Both ladies do vocals. Oh, and I mustn't forget the yodeling . . . yes, yodeling! Talk about fun! My children really enjoyed trying their hand, I mean vocal chords, at this syllabic, sing-song silliness!

In addition to the Live in Concert DVD, we've also listened to the following CDs:

• Bon Appetit! Musical Food Fun
• Changing Channels
• Help Yourself!
• Nobody Else Like Me
• Pillow Full of Wishes

As an extension of their main website, Cathy and Marcy also have a great, interactive website called "Cathy and Marcy's Song Shop" at www.songshop.cathymarcy.com, and it features all kinds of neat activities for children, including videos, coloring sheets, a songwriting activity, and more. It also gives up-to-date information on Cathy and Marcy's profiles and upcoming performances.

Overall, we really enjoyed the Cathy/Marcy products, and I think they would be a fun addition to any household (or car). I think a quote from their website sums it up nicely: "Cathy and Marcy sing, yodel, harmonize, spin tales, play breathtaking instruments, and reach out to their audiences, which take part in the celebration." I couldn't have said it better myself!

Product review by Amy O'Quinn, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March 2007