BCM - How did your life change when you became a mom?

Melissa - Phew! That first year was totally crazy. I joke that I delivered twins because Monty was born at the same time that a musical I wrote began pre-production on a million dollar Off-Broadway run!  Ultimately, the biggest life change for me is that thanks to watching a VHS of Laurie Berkner over, and over, and over with Monty, I found my true calling and Melissa the mom became Moey the Mommy Rocker.

BCM - What has been your most memorable moment (s) as a mom?

Melissa - My most memorable Mom moments are the stories behind the songs on my debut Moey's Music Party CD. When Monty nearly got burned running into a waitress with a pot of coffee, I wrote "I Always Sit When I Eat."  To end his 6-month no-hair washing strike, I wrote "Pierre Wouldn't Wash His Hair" (and he washed his hair THE NEXT DAY!)  "New York City Kid" celebrates all the things we saw in our daily adventures in Central Park.  "Me and My Mom" is my favorite song on the album, because I wrote it for my first Mother's Day to honor that beautiful bond between a mother and child. 

BCM - What has been the biggest challenge for you in motherhood?  Any advice for new moms?

Melissa -It's always about the juggle - how are you able to be really present for your child while growing a small business. My best advice to working moms is find a wonderful nanny.  I am eternally grateful for my nanny, Edna, because she makes it possible for me to be Moey and mom.  I meet a lot of nannies in my weekly music classes and I have to say, most are terrific. But sometimes in the park you see nannies that just gab on the phone and ignore the children, and it makes me sad.

BCM - Congratulations on the success of Moey's Music Party!   How did you get involved in kids music?

Melissa -I always wanted to write songs for kids, but it wasn't until I became a mom that I really understood how to entertain and engage children. For nearly three years I taught music to 300 kids a week at York Avenue Preschool and Gym Time Rhythm and Glues. From there, Central Park hired me to create their "Sandbox Sing-Along" concert series. They were used to having 40 moms at a program, but word quickly spread and 400 kids would come to each concert. Now we sing for about 10,000 kids a year at venues ranging from the Tribeca Film Festival, to The JCC, to FAO Schwarz, birthday parties, and our weekly classes at the NY Junior League and Central Park. Our big news is that we're developing a preschool music show for TV!

BCM - Do you have any special concerts or events planned over the summer?

Melissa -This is going to be a very exciting summer because "Happily Ever Moey! A Fairy Tale Lark in Central Park,” my new DVD & CD of musical versions of 15 famous fairy tales just won a Parents Choice Award and officially debuts in July! I joke that “The park is alive with the sounds of Moey!” because we will be holding our 7 week summer session of Moey's Music Party classes in Central Park on Cedar Hill near 79th st. all summer long.   Moms are invited to enjoy a free trial class at our Train Party at Cedar Hill in Central Park on Wednesday June 1 & Thursday June 2 at 10:00 & 11:00. RSVP to moey@moeysmusicparty.com to make sure there is space.

We're also performing a Happily Ever Moey! DVD release tour that includes performances at many New York Public Libraries, singing on a double-bill with the Storybook Pirates in Williamsburg, and rocking at Super Saturday in the Hamptons. Plus we do TONS of birthday parties.

BCM - What types of activities do you like to do w/ your son? 

Melissa -I love to take him on adventures in NYC neighborhoods. My son loves candy (of course) so we went on a candy hunt and watched artisans make candy at Papa Bubble in Little Italy and making chocolates at the Jacques Torres factory.  When he begged to go to Chuck E. Cheese, we made a day of it by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and past all the Brooklyn neighborhoods on till we got there - three hours later!  

BCM- What has been your favorite Big City Moms event to date?

Melissa - The Big City Mom lunches are amazing. Becoming a first time mom is such a huge change; BCM makes it so much easier to create a community of new best friends who are going through exactly the same milestones as you. 

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FUN FACTS:

I’m totally obsessed with….

Melissa -My iphone

My biggest influence is…

Melissa -Free to Be You and Me and School House Rock 

My favorite drugstore buy is..

Melissa -Moey pink lipstick!

Products I can’t live without..

Melissa -My Oriental Trading Company pink, blue, and silver pompoms and sparkly tiaras

My guilty pleasure is...

Melissa -Swimming at The Equinox

Favorite restaurant….

Melissa -Jo-Jos on E. 64th St. I lived in a studio above the restaurant when I first moved to NYC and I'd come home from late night gigs and sing Piaf songs with the French waiters, so I'm always very sentimental when I go there.