Who Are We?

We are the Dreyer family. Twin brothers, Matt and Craig, married Annie and Cami and their collective kids are Mac age 11, Emmett age 8, Silas age 2, Finley almost 2.

The project started when Annie took the same advice that she often gives her kids . . .if you have an idea, pursue it, do it, make it...why not! - be it stories, art, gardens, food or - music! The first song (The I Love You Song) was born. Two months later, there were 19 songs! On the next family vacation Annie and Matt played the bare bones of the songs to Craig and Cami. They all decided that they should make the songs into a CD for posterity since every song is about a very real experience with the Dreyer Kids. Because the families live on opposite sides of the country (NY, CA) two trips were arranged. First, Matt went out to see Craig for a combined 40th birthday/music trip. With many musician friends, they laid down all the music tracks. Then a month later came the second trip where the whole family got together to record the vocals. Finally, Craig was left to mix it all in his studio with Cami’s collaboration.

What’s this music all about? Our family experiences! Recorded in 11 days over 2 family vacations, this music was made for us and is just too good not to share.

Who is it for? Some songs are about and for little ones; many are for school age kids; some are loved by the “tweens” in our lives; and many come from the parents perspective and have been known to make grandparents cry (you know who you are). In short, this is not a toddler CD but a CD that just might take the whole family on a musical journey while on that family road trip.

Who does what in the Dreyer Family Band?
Craig, Cami and Finley, East Coast Dreyers . . .
Craig plays sax and piano and co-wrote some of the songs. Craig also directed the whole thing and did all the mixing. The entire thing was recorded at Craig's recording studio…Mighty Toad.
Cami sings on most songs, takes most of the photos.

Matt and Annie, the West Coast Dreyers… with kids Mac, Emmett, and Silas.
Annie wrote the songs with Matt and Craig (with lyrics here and there straight from the mouths of babes!). Both sing and Matt plays banjo and guitar.
Everyone sings, even the babies…well, maybe they laugh and cry more than anything but they were definitely involved!

Craig enlisted the help and musical genius of many of his long time friends...Boo Reiners (guitar, banjo, lapsteel), Whynot Jansveld (electric bass), Tom Petrycha (stand-up bass), Jason Pharr(drums), Elena Skye (mandolin), Ismail "Bongo" Bruno (congas and bongos and "crackin' chicken"), Paul Tillotson (piano), Tim Ouimette (trumpet and trombone), Rick Crisca (baritone sax,and clarinet)...none of these folks are "Dreyers"...but they are IN the family now!!

This has been the best and the most fun ever. We even had Cami’s Aunt Anne do the art for the cover and the drawing for the lyric book (colored with crayons by family). This is homegrown to the extreme. Our big goal was and is only to be able to do it again! And Again!

The songs keep coming, the experiences keep happening and there really is no better way on the planet for a musical family to spend time. Even as the kids get older it’s great to watch them incorporate their ideas and instruments.

So, this record is not FOR kids but includes them. From the perspective of all family members. It’s genuine and we are very happy to have this musical memory of these young years with all of us really singing with actual smiles on our actual faces!!

Cd and Mp3s availible on CDbaby CLICK HERE