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When is your next album coming out?
What's your favorite song?
Do you have kids?
Do you write all your songs?
Who makes the puppets?
How do you make the puppets?
Is this your job?
Where do you do your shows?
How did you get started?
Who made the puppet stage?
Where can I get more information about Elizabeth McMahon?

When is your next album coming out?
     The Classroom Boogie came out in 2003.   Don't Kiss a Codfish came out on CD in 2005. At this point, I'm focusing on adding new songs to the puppet show and marketing the CDs that I already have.  To find out the latest,  sign up on the email mailing list. 

    You can hear some new Tom Knight songs on a CD called Toddlers' Tango. 

What's your favorite song?
     My favorite song is usually the one I'm working on at the moment.  Of the songs on the new album, my favorite right now is "Wiggle Worm," because I get to dance around and act goofy when I sing it.

Do you have kids?
    No, I don't.  I just like working with kids, and seem to have an affinity for writing and performing for that unique audience.  I'd like to have kids of my own someday, but for now, I like making friends with all the kids who come to my performances.   To top

Do you write all your songs?
    I write almost all the songs I do for kids. The few exceptions are "Place in the Choir" by Bill Staines,  "Habitat" by Bill Oliver, and "Waltzing with Bears" by Dale Marxen.  I recorded a couple songs by Elizabeth McMahon  on the Easy as Pie album. To top

Who makes the puppets?
    I make all the puppets myself.  I learned a lot about puppet making from Elizabeth McMahon (see below). Most of the puppets are made out of foam and fabric. I do as much sewing on the machine as possible, and then sew the rest by hand.  I also made the shirt I wear, the puppet stage, and all the props.  To top

How do you make the puppets?
    First, I try to figure out what I want the puppet to do - speak, or gesture, or move in a certain way.  For a speaking puppet, I make one with a mouth. For a puppet that gestures, I make a puppet with hands, or a stick puppet.
     Then I make a model out of clay, and copy that model in foam. If I'm trying to make an animal, I usually get a book from the library that has pictures of the animal.   
     Then I cover the foam base with fabric, and add things like hair, eyes, mouth, and clothes.
     Depending on the complexity of the puppet, it may take an afternoon, or a couple weeks to finish it. 
     It’s fun to take something from my imagination and bring it to life. To top

Is this your job?
    I've been making a living as a puppeteer and musician since 1992. I feel very fortunate to be able to make a living doing something I love. I write songs and record them, I make up puppet skits, and perform in front of an audience, and something I made up becomes a part of people’s lives. 
    I really love being able to use my creativity in so many different ways to connect with people. That’s the whole point of what I do and that’s what makes it all worth it.  To top

Where do you do your shows?
    I perform at libraries, museums, schools, festivals, pre-schools and theaters throughout the Northeast. I’ve done tours of libraries in Northern Virginia and Pennsylvania,  as well as a tour of libraries in Las Vegas.
    In 2004, I did a show at the Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. To top

How did you get started?
   I started working with puppets in 1986. I was an assistant teacher at the Ithaca Montessori School. Another teacher there, Monica MacNamee was the leader of a puppet troupe called the Punchinella Puppeteers. Monica found out that I was a musician and asked me to play music for the puppet shows. We did things like "You Can’t Make a Turtle Come Out," and "Caps for Sale."
    One of the other members of the Punchinella Puppeteers was Elizabeth McMahon. Elizabeth’s son was one of the kids at the Montessori School.
    In 1988, Monica MacNamee left Ithaca, and the Punchinella Puppeteers broke up.  Elizabeth and I decided to create our own puppet group, the Peanut Butter and Jelly Puppeteers.  I did the music, and Elizabeth did the puppets.
    We worked together for 9 years.  Over time, Elizabeth started writing and performing her own songs, and I got more involved in the puppetry. She came out from behind the puppet stage, and I went behind it.
    By 1997, we both decided to create solo puppet shows.  Now I do about 150 shows a year. To top

Who made the puppet stage?
    I made the puppet stage out of parts from a tent. This is the 5^th puppet stage I’ve made. This is the lightest, most compact, and easiest to travel with. Plus, if I ever need a place to stay, I can just camp out in my puppet stage. Not really. I also use the stage for doing shadow puppets. To top

Where can I get more information about  Elizabeth McMahon?
      You can find out more about Elizabeth by going to www.MrsMcPuppet.com. Call her at (607) 844-8734, or email her at MrsMcP@aol.com.  To top

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