Elizabeth Mitchell

Traditional folk music, singer-songwriter, folk music for children

Elizabeth Mitchell has mostly dedicated her career to keeping folk music alive for the next generation, performing primarily for children. In this sense, her work follows the tradition of folks like Ruth Crawford Seeger, Peggy Seeger, Raffi, Billy Jonas, and others. Fans of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie's songs for children may be interested in hearing Elizabeth Mitchell's work, particularly since she has recorded many of the same songs. Fans of folk-pop singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb may also appreciate Mitchell's work, as the two have recorded together in the past.

Catch the Moon (Sheridan Square Records, 2006) compare prices

You Are My Little Bird (Smithsonian Folkways Records, 2006) compare prices

You Are My Sunshine (Little Bird Records, 2002) compare prices

"You Are My Sunshine" (Version 1) (from You Are My Sunshine)
"This Little Light of Mine" (from You Are My Flower)
"Keep on the Sunny Side" with Levon Helm on drums (from Sunny Day)

Singer-songwriter Elizabeth Mitchell was born in New York City in 1968 and attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, before returning to New York in the 1990s. At that point, she planted roots in Brooklyn and began working as an assistant teacher at a school in Brooklyn called the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery School in Manhattan. It wasn't until she became a teacher and discovered the power of music on children that she discovered her love and adoration for making music for the children.

Finally, in 1998, Mitchell recorded her first album in a single afternoon at her friend's house. It was intended to be a fun day of music-making but word got out and the album eventually was released on that friend's independent label, Last Affair Records. That recording, You Are My Flower earned her considerable praise and attention and, along with its follow-up You Are My Sunshine (both of which she eventually released on her own Little Flower label) earned her the attention of children's folk music veteran Dan Zanes. He recommended her to the folks at Smithsonian Folkways, with whom she soon inked a deal. Excepting a collaborative album she made with singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb in 2004 (Catch the Moon - an album which accompanies a picture book), Mitchell has remained with Smithsonian Folkways since Zanes recommended her that way.

Over the years, in addition to her collaboration with Loeb, Mitchell has also made music with the likes of Ziggy Marley, Levon Helm, Jon Langford, the Children Agape Choir of South Africa, and others. She now lives in upstate New York with her husband Daniel Littleton and their daughter Storey. Storey wrote two songs for Mitchell's 2010 release Sunny Day.

In addition to her work as a children's folksinger, she is in a more adult-angled band called Ida. She has performed all over the US and is a darling of festivals like the Newport Folk Festival and has shared stages with everyone from Natalie Merchant to Pete Seeger.

In the summer of 2012, Mitchell has announced the release of a collection of Woody Guthrie's folk songs for children. The disc, titled Little Seed: Songs for Children by Woody Guthrie (7/10/12) was released by Smithsonian Folkways Records as a way of commemorating Guthrie's 100th birthday.

Mitchell performs frequently with her family and fans can keep track of her ongoing performance dates by visiting her website at YouAreMyFlower.org.