Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer
Encyclopedia
Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer (b. February 25, 1956) perform together as a folk music
duo. They have been musical partners for more than 20 years. Over those years, they released several albums for both children and adults, won two Grammy Award
s, produced records for artists ranging from Tom Paxton
to Patsy Montana
, wrote more than 200 songs and toured extensively.
Fink was born in Maryland
, but began her musical career in Canada
in the early 1970s, busking
and playing folk music
in coffeehouses. A singer, guitar
ist, banjo
player and yodeler
, she made her recording debut in 1975 with Duck Donald, with whom she toured for five years and recorded three albums.
Marxer grew up in Swartz Creek, Michigan
and learned to play guitar, mandolin
, hammered dulcimer
and button accordion
while still in high school. She went to work for General Motors but continued to play at every opportunity. In 1978, after receiving theater training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
and the Ringling Brothers Clown School, she devoted herself to music full time.
The two met in 1980 at the Toronto Folk Festival. By 1983 they had begun writing songs together and appearing on each other's albums. Soon after, they began performing together, often in children's concerts. In 1989, they released a self-titled album, and the partnership became complete.
In the years since, the duo has released a number of albums, including Nobody Else Like Me, A Voice in the Wind and Changing Channels. Their CD Postcards won a Grammy nomination in 2003 for "Best Traditional Folk Album." After several Grammy nominations, they captured their first Grammy Award in 2004 for their children's album Bon Appetit and won their second in 2005 as producers and artists for cELLAbration: A Tribute to Ella Jenkins.
Individually and together, they've produced more than a dozen albums for other artists, served as studio musicians, and created a series of instructional materials and videos ranging from guitar and ukulele for kids to how to sing harmony. They've performed at the White House
Easter Egg Roll, appeared on National Public Radio, won several songwriting awards and have been acknowledged for their work with children in the Congressional Record.
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
duo. They have been musical partners for more than 20 years. Over those years, they released several albums for both children and adults, won two Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s, produced records for artists ranging from Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton
Thomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
to Patsy Montana
Patsy Montana
Ruby Rose Blevins , known professionally as Patsy Montana, was an American country music singer-songwriter and the first female country performer to have a million-selling single...
, wrote more than 200 songs and toured extensively.
Fink was born in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, but began her musical career in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the early 1970s, busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
and playing folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
in coffeehouses. A singer, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
player and yodeler
Yodeling
Yodeling is a form of singing that involves singing an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch from the vocal or chest register to the falsetto/head register; making a high-low-high-low sound.The English word yodel is derived from a German word jodeln meaning "to...
, she made her recording debut in 1975 with Duck Donald, with whom she toured for five years and recorded three albums.
Marxer grew up in Swartz Creek, Michigan
Swartz Creek, Michigan
-Demographics:At the 2000 census, there were 5,102 people, 2,233 households and 1,460 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,269.6 per square mile . There were 2,355 housing units at an average density of 586.0 per square mile...
and learned to play guitar, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, hammered dulcimer
Hammered dulcimer
The hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. Typically, the hammered dulcimer is set on a stand, at an angle, before the musician, who holds small mallet hammers in each hand to strike the strings...
and button accordion
Button accordion
A button accordion is a type of accordion on which the melody-side keyboard consists of a series of buttons rather than piano-style keys. There exists a wide variation in keyboard systems, tuning, action and construction of these instruments...
while still in high school. She went to work for General Motors but continued to play at every opportunity. In 1978, after receiving theater training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with facilities located in Manhattan, New York City – at 120 Madison Avenue, in a landmark building designed by noted architect Stanford White as the original Colony Club – and in Hollywood, California...
and the Ringling Brothers Clown School, she devoted herself to music full time.
The two met in 1980 at the Toronto Folk Festival. By 1983 they had begun writing songs together and appearing on each other's albums. Soon after, they began performing together, often in children's concerts. In 1989, they released a self-titled album, and the partnership became complete.
In the years since, the duo has released a number of albums, including Nobody Else Like Me, A Voice in the Wind and Changing Channels. Their CD Postcards won a Grammy nomination in 2003 for "Best Traditional Folk Album." After several Grammy nominations, they captured their first Grammy Award in 2004 for their children's album Bon Appetit and won their second in 2005 as producers and artists for cELLAbration: A Tribute to Ella Jenkins.
Individually and together, they've produced more than a dozen albums for other artists, served as studio musicians, and created a series of instructional materials and videos ranging from guitar and ukulele for kids to how to sing harmony. They've performed at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Easter Egg Roll, appeared on National Public Radio, won several songwriting awards and have been acknowledged for their work with children in the Congressional Record.