All Together Singing in the Kitchen

With their children at their sides Nerissa and Katryna Nields of Conway, MA, performed a family show to a packed house at the Jones Library in Amherst as part of the library’s 30th annual Children’s Music Series.

Better known as “The Nields” this local sister duo recently released a kid’s music CD of traditional and original folk music titled, All Together Singing in the Kitchen. It has a wonderful collection of music with traditional songs, like “Alkendrum,” “Hop Up Ladies,” and Tom Paxton’s “Going to the Zoo;” along with a few rocking original tunes like Nerissa’s “Anna Kick a Hole in the Sky.”

“To hear my daughter, Amelia, sing ‘Oh Mary, don’t you weep, don’t you mourn!’ with so much conviction and joy is payment enough for a lifetime”. – Katryna Nields

The duo engaged an enthusiastic audience to sing along and participate in round robins, song in sign language and interjections. Parents sitting in the audience warmed up to the way they incorporated their adventures in motherhood into their performance. Songs and tales of the struggles to dress their children, a family puppet show using animal wash clothes and Nerissa’s first song for her daughter, “I’m a Dog on a Ball and I Chime,” made parents laugh and nod knowingly along.

They also shared the story of their friend Alkendrum who lives on the moon and only wears food for clothes. Katryna expressed her concern that with the moon being eclipsed that evening their friend might get extra cold and they should dress him extra warm. The audience helped dress Alkendrum through song, shouting out different styles of food to dress him with. By the end of the song, Alkendrum’s wardrobe consisted of a cream cheese hat, peanut butter shirt, cheese tie and chocolate belt, pants made of spaghetti and socks made of banana peels, with a salt & pepper overcoat and carrots for shoes.

All Together Singing in the Kitchen

For Katryna this album was about being spontaneous, joy, respect for music and above all, family. You could see that intention beaming through her performance with her children, Amelia and William, gathered by her side. She shared her celebration of family through songs, silliness, and singing from the heart.

While Katryna may be the younger sister, Nerissa is the “younger” mother. Nerissa has great hopes to share her songs with her new daughter, Lila, and her extended family, as well as to inspire her larger community to experience music in their own homes with their families.

Where to Catch the Nields

Friday, 03/09/07, they will be part of the performance Music of this Sphere: A Concert for Climate Rescue at Helen Hills Hills Chapel in Northampton at 7pm. Click here for a complete list of performers.

Saturday, 04/07/07, they will be guests on the family music program, Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, on 103.3FM WXOJ out of Florence, MA, from 8am-10am. Click here to listen live.

Visit the Nields on-line at www.nields.com.