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Kath Bee . . . Catchy, fun, thoughtful songs that quickly become family favourites
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Who is Kath Bee?
Kath Bee is an award-winning New Zealand children’s songwriter and performer who has spent over 25 years writing songs that children love and remember forever. She is known for her clever, meaningful lyrics, catchy melodies, and her ability to step into the world of a child.
Some of Kath’s most loved songs include Individuality, Dad I Wanna Be a Camel, E Tū Tāngata, Sprinkle a Little Sunshine, Magic in Me, I Love Life, Human Just Like Me and Dragons Under My Bed. Many adults now tell her, often a little sheepishly, “Your songs were my childhood.”
Kath is a “with them, not at them” performer who connects easily with children whether sitting on the mat in a classroom or performing on stage. Over the past two decades she has performed for tens of thousands of tamariki throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
In addition to performing, Kath is also a published author of three picture books and has written more than 120 children’s songs, which are sung in homes, schools, libraries, early childhood centres and in the car!
Her YouTube channel also provides helpful lyric videos, 'live' videos and
music videos used by teachers, parents and educators.
Kath’s songwriting has been widely recognised with multiple awards, including:
Winner - APRA Best Children's Song 2022
Winner - APRA Best Children's Song 2020
Winner - APRA Children's Video of the Year 2019
Finalist - APRA Children's Song of the Year 2018
Winner - APRA Children's Video of the Year 2014
Winner - APRA Children's Video of the Year 2010
Finalist - INTERNATIONAL Songwriting Competition x 4
Placed - AUSTRALIAN Songwriters Association Competition x 3
'Kath's songs definitely have the X-Factor - all my children LOVE them!'
Ali Caldwell, Music Teacher, Dunedin, NZ
'Kath is the Paul McCartney of children's songwriting.'
Chris Lam Sam, Popular NZ Children's Entertainer, MC, Founder of NZs Supergroup The Funky Monkeys
Email Kath: songs4kids@gmail.com
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Some Fun Facts About Kath
* Kath comes from a musical family. Her dad played piano by ear, her mum was always singing and whistling around the house, and her oldest sister learned classical piano. Kath could already play Three Blind Mice on the piano at age three, and her sister later taught her classical piano for a year when she was six or seven.
*Kath wrote her first song as a teenager, later completed a year-long music course in 2000, and began writing songs for children in 2001 — something she has been happily doing ever since.
*Kath played football (soccer) from age 12 through to 40 and represented Nelson many times. Her favourite position was left back, though she also prided herself on being a pretty good sweeper!
*Kath has had many different jobs over the years – everything from cleaning, pear picking and waitressing to working in a fruit and vege shop, managing a market stall, delivering groceries for Countdown, presenting maths and hearing programmes in schools, and even working as a tour guide at Pic’s Peanut Butter! Her favourite jobs were pear picking and the fruit & vege shop.