A Delight-Filled and Educational
Children's Television Series
Mary Murphy- Children's Storyteller &
Musical Performer
Be it problem solving through cooperation, vocabulary expansion through an engaging story line, or learning about rhythm through song and dance, Mary’s writing (both literary and musical) draws us into the joy of learning through frivolity.
It has been said that Mary writes for ages 4-104! This is due to the fact that her timeless tales are written to engage all readers.
Mary has created and conducted innumerable workshops/performances in schools, at festivals, libraries, art centres, and museums. Her primary children’s focus over the past several years has been creating stories and songs relating to Irish fairies and forest dwellers.
Her award winning book/audio CD, ‘Away with the Fairies-Book One’ has seen the release of its sequel, ‘Away with the Fairies –Book Two’ in August 2015. Book One was also added to a Waldorf school curriculum in the United States in 2013. This series has two additional books written that are ‘waiting in the wings’. These works give equal time to both male and female characters in order to level the tendency to emphasize primarily females in the fairy realm.
These book packages include the written stories, audio of Mary reading all the tales, fairy songs, song lyrics, colouring pages, puzzles, recipes, and either a bookmark or fairy dressing doll.
In addition, these fairy stories were aired on Irish radio and on an Irish podcast this year. Mary has already begun a second series of books entitled, ‘The Many Adventures of Nash the Dash’, staring a male character from her fairy book series.
In early 2014, Mary was researching the creation of an interactive television series for children using her original stories and music. She was introduced to Katalina Kovecses, who was researching the same for her own projects. The two have teamed up to become co-creators for the Take Me Away children’s TV series. The team is further enhanced by animators Taylor Fox & Fecundo Gastiazoro, and book illustrator (and eventual site designer) Fiona Van Housen.
Mary Murphy is also a professional songwriter and musical recording/touring artist who has released ten musical CD’s. She is author of a full length fiction novel,‘The Emerald Diaries-Secrets of an Irish Clan', and she and her husband/musical partner own and operate a professional recording studio, Dove Creek Recording.
For more information or to order a copy of Mary's Away with the Fairies book series, please visit www.marymurphy.ca
View Mary's Resume at http://www.marymurphy.ca/the-childrens-page/mary-childrens-resume/
“Mary’s grasp of a child’s sense of imagination and awe is not just highly entertaining, but markedly educational.”
Principal for Mount Begbie Elementary School, Revelstoke, BC, Canada
Mary Murphy began writing curriculum for children back in the early 1990’s.
Her purposeful direction and philosophy is, “Education through the power of imagination.”
Ms. Murphy embraces her role as mentor and has, over many years, developed a formula for interactive learning that is both fun and educational. She believes that expanding imagination improves self-confidence and the understanding of other cultures.
Mary Murphy
Original Story Author, Co-Creator, Live Action Story Teller/Voice Over, Assistant Script Writer, Executive Producer, Musical Performer
Katalina Kovecses
Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Head Script Writer, and Character Voice Over Talent
Katalina Kovecses is an aspiring Screenwriter, Series Creator, and Actress. Having grown up in a multi cultural family, she has learned the importance of social acceptance and diversity. Originally Born in Baden, Austria to Hungarian parents, Katalina has found Canada to be a second home, having immigarated here in 1986, and considers herself to be Hungarian Canadian. Having come into this life with a cleft lip, Katalina particularly resonates with the struggles and subsequent determination of fairy character Violet, who is born missing a wing interior in the Away With The Fairies Book Series. She feels it is an honor to work with such a wonderful writer and talented literary artist such as Mary Murphy.
Throughout her entertainment career, Katalina has taken on many varying roles within the Film, Television, and Theatre industry. She has worked along side such Canadian Televisionairies as Parry Rosemond, and fantastic writers such as Terry Saltsman, and amazing dialogue coach Jane Eastwood. She has dabbled in all aspects of film, having educated herself both in front, and behind the camera, and in all aspects from pre-production through to post production. Her recent rolls were working as part of the crew for such television shows as ABC's Once Upon a Time, The CW's Reign, and Netflix new original series Travellers to name a few. She has written countless Screenplays, Theatrical plays, and Poems, winning the online poetry award for her Poem "Unusually Usual" in 2006, as well as her Poem "To fly or Swim" in 2007.
Katalina has an Advanced Diploma in Film and Television production from Humber College, and has studied Acting at York University's prectigious Theatre Production Program. She has one optioned feature length screenplay, and has been a story editor to Black Dragon Moving Pictures' Zoltan Barabas' Dragon Kid's Series.
Katalina is very excited to have met Mary Murphy and can not wait to get Take Me Away its wings to fly into the mystical world of Childrens Television. She believes that the road makes way for those who know where they are going, and she is headed for Woodland Moss, remembering that Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork.
Katalina's Talent Resume can be viewed at www.katalinakovecses.com
As an illustrator, Fiona Van Housen owns an innate sense of artistry. Her
interpretations of individual fairies, animals and nature have been described as inspired and entrancing. She has studied under private tutelage in Wicklow, Ireland and attended an arts program in Canada. Fiona is author of the illustrations for book one and two of the Away with the Fairies series and is also an illustrator for hire for those wishing to transform loved ones into fairies by way of photographs.
She can be contacted at fionavanhousen@hotmail.com or through Mary Murphy’s web site on the children’s page.
Fiona Van Housen
Character and Background Illustrator
Character and Live Action Animators
Incite Media
Taylor Fox (right) and Facundo Gastiazoro (left) are the co-owners/operators of an award winning animation and Film Company, Incite Media, based in Smithers, BC, Canada.
A dynamic duo, these men are enthusiastic directors who push against the norms with an ongoing commitment to innovation. The result? Finely crafted and original content. Their reputation for exploration has gained them great accolades and has garnered well-deserved attention by many artists, including the multi-Juno and Grammy winner, Alex Cuba (Center). One of Cuba’s music videos won best music video in 2013, in part, due to the imaginations of Facundo and Taylor.
Taylor and Facundo are using live action animation for Take Me Away TV Series, which
translates to animating live action characters and setting them into computer generated
backgrounds and scenes.
Their web site is currently under re-construction but will be up shortly. Until then, here are two links to exquisite releases.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-Yb6kKUwrA&list=RDI-Yb6kKUwrA#t=0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQS3wbJRRsE
Take Me Away is thrilled to have them on board as collaborators for this series.