Inside the The Battersby Duo

The Battersby Duo—an award winning musical comedy team for children and families—are all about blending country, bluegrass, and rock in masterfully fun ways. Their popularity has earned them to a Grammy win in 2010, performances at The White House for President Clinton, and now they’ve been declared your Totally Awesome pick for best kid-centric musical artists!

The Duo recently took the time to chat with us about what makes them awesome, their proud moments as musicians and parents, and more. Read on:

Red Tricycle: Congratulations! Your community recently voted you “Most Awesome.” What do you think your fans value most about what you do?

The Battersby Duo: The Battersby Duo has always placed the needs of children first. As performers we are vitally aware that our music and actions on stage need to be “age appropriate” We are not rock stars. Very often we are the first live musical experience our audience has had. Therefore it is important to be kind, loving, and nurturing, as if you were the children’s parents.

RT: What inspired you to become the Duo we know and love?

TBD: As teachers we saw the power of music as an aid to teach our students. We wrote songs to help kids learn grammar, vocabulary, and to find the fun in learning. We eventually decided in 1983 to become professional musicians to broaden our classroom.

RT: Any advice for new business owners just getting started?

TBD: We live in a great country. Tim originates from the UK and emigrated to the US in 1975. Hard work and a desire to succeed is the best advice for young people starting out in business today.

RT: Can you give us one tip for balancing entrepreneurship with parenthood?

TBD: Always leave time in the day for your children. It’s fine to devote your working day to your business, but never allow it to rob you of your time with your family.

RT: What is your proudest moment as a business owner or parent?

TBD: As parents, we are proud every time our daughter does something kind. We were so proud when we saw her walk across the stage at her High School graduation. From a business standpoint, there were two moments: One was when we first received a call from The White House inviting us to perform for President Clinton and the children of Washington. The other was when we received a grammy nomination for our CD Sunny Days in 2011

RT: Is there a special offer or other information you’d like to Red Tricycle readers to know about?

TBD: The Battersby Duo has 9 best-selling children’s albums on the market today. Our latest album is entitled Hide and Seek, which has been submitted to the 56th annual Grammy Awards, and is called “an excellent album” by School Library Journal, in addition to winning the 2013 Creative Child Preferred Choice Award.

Many of The Battersby Duo songs can be listened to free on Sound Cloud at: https://soundcloud.com/battersby-duo/sets/sweet-and-silly-movement-songs

For information on how to purchase Hide and Seek and our other 8 albums, please visit http://www.battersbyduo.com/shopping-cart.html. You can read reviews, listen to song samples, and find out where to purchase the CD at a number of convenient locations including iTunes, CD Baby, and Midwest Tapes as well as the Battersby Duo’s website.

Intrigued by The Battersby Duo? Follow this Totally Awesome duo on Facebook and Twitter.