Toddler Recording Going, Going, GOLD!

Garberville, CA--The country’s largest independent children’s record label is celebrating, and with good reason: their 1998 recording, Toddler Favorites, was just certified gold by the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 19th!

For over fifteen years, Music For Little People has been producing award-winning recordings for children. Despite its remote northern California locale, in a picturesque town reminiscent of Andy Griffith’s Mayberry, the company has garnered worldwide acclaim, sold in excess of three million units and received well over 100 industry related awards, including numerous Parents’ Choice Awards, American Library Association Notables and several Grammy® nominations.

"It just doesn’t get any better than this," says Sheron Sherman, President and COO of the company. "We watched this record consistently chart on Billboard since its release, and knew it was just a matter of time before it would go gold." Toddler Favorites has reached #1 twice on Billboard’s charts, and has held a position steadily. The concept for the Favorites series was Sherman’s as well. "There was something called tier pricing that I believed would be beneficial for both the company and the consumer. The Favorites series introduced that to our customers and has proven to be a popular and successful series." Under Sherman’s guidance, the company’s revenues have increased dramatically from $3.8 million in 1998 to $5.4 million in 1999 and $6.3 million in 2000. This year MFLP is poised for even greater financial success.

Executive Producer and founder/ CEO of the company, Leib Ostrow and Producer John Alevizakis were not surprised by the award either. "The entire project went smooth and the children all had a great time recording. Associate Producer Judy Nee assembled a choice group of child singers for the album, many of whom had performed on earlier recordings for Music for Little People," said Alevizakis.

Music For Little People started in 1985 as a mail order catalog. Ostrow’s primary goal–to develop children’s recordings that enhanced and expanded their musical experiences–soon blossomed. In 2000, the label celebrated its 15th anniversary. The label’s vision–to create entertainment of the highest quality, while maintaining a commitment to culturally diverse values–is evident in every release.

The RIAA certification for a gold record represents sales in excess of 500,000 units through retail, record clubs, rackjobbers, and all other ancillary markets that legitimately distribute music. According to the RIAA, there are1600 total certifications in the system (which include gold and platinum), and only 27 gold records have been children’s albums.

"We’re grateful and proud to be included among them," said Ostrow, "and we’re hopeful that we’ll be seeing more of these in the future."

For more information or to receive a media kit on the company, you may contact Su Lukasha at 800-346-4445 ext. 108 or email su@mflp.com.