Biography
When Mae Robertson was a new mother and the owner of three children's stores in the Northeast, a friend overheard her singing the traditional folk song "The Water Is Wide" as a lullaby to her baby. He convinced her to record a suite of traditional and contemporary songs as lullabies, and a new career was born.
Now, with four award-winning albums in her Lullaby & Lovesong Collection - All Through The Night, The Sun Upon The Lake Is Low, Sweet Dreams of Home and Dream - Mae has built a loyal audience of listeners, both young and old. She has also garnered some remarkable reviews: "Her vocals are pure, spun-gold," raved the Los Angeles Times and according to Billboard, “Her dusky alto vocal range is a true treat and she has an understated yet memorable way with a lyric that renders anything she performs worth investigating.” The CDs have been named Notable Recordings for Children by The American Library Association; and they have also won awards from Parents’ Choice, North American Parenting Publications and The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.
Growing up in Alabama, Mae was influenced by the folk collections of her older brothers and sister. Later, she gravitated toward singer-songwriters because, like traditional folk music, their songs were lyric-driven. "I have always been drawn to the poetry and the story in songs,” she says.
In 1995, Mae founded, and remains the president of, Lyric Partners, a music label dedicated to the idea that music for children need not teach, preach, or condescend. “I’m a song collector by nature,” says Robertson, “and I especially respond to sweet songs that soothe and inspire. I love expanding the lullaby genre and making music for families that will delight both parent and child.”
In 2000, Mae and her family moved back to Birmingham, Alabama after 20 years in and around New York City. That same year she recorded Stone by Stone, her first album intended for a grown-up audience, that included her own compositions as well as the work of other songwriters. “I was working on a new album when the attacks of September 11 occurred. For a few months, I didn’t listen to music. I didn’t even sing. As I slowly returned to music, I instinctively began to sing songs that I felt would help me grieve or help me heal.” These songs became the centerpiece of her album Smile, recorded in the spring of 2002.
In 2004, Mae recorded December Sky. It features seasonal songs of winter and the holidays from an assortment of genres – traditional, spiritual, and contemporary – presented in acoustic settings to reveal the simple yet timeless beauties within. The newly released Meet the Sun Halfway is a collection of original songs by Robertson and selections by some of her favorite writers.
Mae’s love for the singer-songwriter genre, coupled with a desire to bring more great music to Birmingham, inspired her to create "The Troubadour Series"– concerts featuring a slate of nationally touring acoustic artists. This very popular series made a significant contribution to the Birmingham music scene.
Mae has become a much-sought-after teacher, leading workshops in Independent Marketing, Managing Stage Fright, and Performance for The Swannanoa Gathering, SummerSongs, and The NE Regional Folk Alliance. Additionally, she has expanded the offerings of the Lyric Partners label by adding a new artist to its roster: Tony® nominated Broadway star, Euan Morton.
Whether she's singing sweet lullabies for children or creating sophisticated sounds for adults, Mae Robertson's personal vision is the mortar in her artistry. “Sharing music with an audience is as wonderful and rewarding as anything I can imagine. My hope is that listeners will connect with the truth of the lyrics and the beauty in the melodies.”
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