That's Middletown - Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem Win Parent's Choice Award

Sunday, our Middletown neighbors Rani Arbo and Scott Kessel brought their great band Daisy Mayhem to the Wadsworth Mansion to celebrate Daffodil Day, and while there, announced that the band's family album Ranky Tanky, had won a coveted Gold Seal Parents' Choice Award.

The Parents' Choice people have been giving their seal of approval to children's books, toys, tv shows, videos and music since 1978.  Some of the criteria for selecting their gold seal winners includes: Those who write original songs and stories deliver intelligent, inventive lyrics; they craft and tell a captivating story, in words and music. They create magical worlds that kids believe – and want to live in – if even for only a few minutes. Their stories and songs may be imaginary; their creativity and talent is anything but...The Parents’ Choice Awards evaluation process is a lengthy and confidential one. We don’t offer “feedback” to producers or manufacturers because we don’t work for them. We work for parents, caregivers, librarians and educators. 

Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem are a local presence, but they have a national reputation.  Arbo began performing with the now-defunct, but well-loved band Salamander Crossing, and formed Daisy Mayhem after that band broke up, with Salamander partner Andrew Kinsey, guitarist Anand Nayak and percussionist Scott Kessel, who also helps build displays at KidCity.

After releasing three critically-acclaimed "adult" albums, the band decided to dip their toes into the "kids and family" market, striving to create an album that kids would love, and that could be enjoyed equally by parents, who would inevitably hear the album over, and over and over.  The result is Ranky Tanky, and, mission-accomplished.