Great Big World

Mark Rickerby is a writer, singer, songwriter and voice-over artist. His work has appeared in seven Chicken Soup for the Soul books and numerous other anthologies and magazines. Alternately heart-warming and hilarious, covering multiple genres - country, blues, surf, jazz, funk, Christian, lounge, and an Irish ballad thrown in to appease his Irish parents - Mark Rickerby's debut CD, Great Big World, is bursting with all the quot;stuff of lifequot; and will strengthen the bonds between you and your children, between you and your spouse, and between you and your own childhood. When his first child arrived, Mark found himself more inspired than ever, making up songs to make her laugh, to stop her crying, or just to express the overwhelming love for her that he was feeling. Wanting to get these songs out of his head and make a permanent record of them for her, he called his good friend and recording artist, Bob Rawleigh. (Mark's song Would I Have Done It? will be on Bob's upcoming CD.) Bob put him in touch with Rick Balentine, a Grammy-nominated composer/arranger/producer. They became fast friends and a fun and productive collaboration was launched. Mark brought the lyrics and melodies to Rick's studio in Van Nuys, California. (SCORE LA) They talked about what style, instruments, back-up vocals, etc., they were imagining for the songs, and Rick put together arrangements that were always magical. Mark's goal with this CD was to create wholesome and fun songs for families to enjoy together. He envisioned families on road trips turning off the TV's on the back of the car seats, putting down the video games, and singing happily together like they did in the old days. However, these songs are not only for children but for parents, too - songs about the discoveries, realizations and transformations that all parents experience; songs Mark hopes will compel them to hold hands on the way home from some happy destination and remember all the wonderful reasons they fell in love and decided to start a family in the first place. Above all, Great Big World is a celebration. A celebration of life, in spite of pain. A celebration of family and the love that binds them together. And the greatest reason of all to celebrate - children - life's sweetest reward.