MIKE HIMELSTEIN, SONGWRITER, COMPOSER AND BRAGGART

To say that three-time Emmy nominee and Annie Award nominee Mike Himelstein is one of America’s best-loved children’s songwriters is a bald-faced lie. It would be stretching it to say that he’s well liked. Let’s just say that he’s tolerated by millions of children of all ages every day.

His songs have appeared in everything from “Shrek” and “Saturday Night Live” to “Winnie The Pooh”, “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” and Julie Andrew’s “Julie’s Greenroom” with Jim Henson’s puppets.

In the world of children’s music, he is considered to be an idiot savant. People who have actually spent time with him consider him to be simply an idiot.

He is the Music Director and songwriter/composer of the worldwide hit Disney pre-school show “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”, (#1 childrens’ show on Disney+) songwriter of Disney’s “Minnie’s Bow Toons” Disney’s “Sheriff Callie’s Wild West” and Disney’s “Special Agent Oso”. He was Music Director and songwriter for the hit pre school show Jim Henson’s “Sid The Science Kid” and co-writes (with Craig Bartlett) most of the songs for Jim Henson’s “Dinosaur Train” on PBS. He is the songwriter and music director of “Splash & Bubbles” for Jim Henson/PBS. He contributes several songs (with Alex Geringas and Dena Diamond) to “Word Party” “Math Party” and “Super Monsters” on Netflix. He is the songwriter (with Alex Geringas) for “Chicken Squad” on Disney Jr/Disney + and the re-boot of “Chuggington” on Disney, and has contributed several songs to “Loud House” “Baby Shark’s Big Show” “Bubble Guppies” and “Noggin Big Heart Beats” for Nickelodeon, and many songs for “Cocomelon Lane” (Netflix) and he is the Music Director & produced all the Ingrid Michaelson songs for the Emmy nominated “Slumberkins” for Jim Henson/Apple TV.

His television and film credits include Academy Award winning “Shrek” (Welcome To Duloc), Blades of Glory (Grublets On Ice), the Sopranos, Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, The Happytime Murders, Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, So You Think You Can Dance, and several children’s television shows including Land Of The Lost, Jim Henson’s Animal Jam and Discovery Channel’s “Toddworld” (Emmy nomination (shared with Al Jarreau) for “Outstanding Original Song” for “Take A Look Inside”). 

Over 200 of his R&B, blues, pop and children’s songs have been recorded by artists including The Temptations, Al Jarreau, The Stray Cats, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Julie Andrews, Johnny Winter, Mandy Moore, Leslie Uggams, The Baha Men, Joe Bonamassa, Vanessa Williams, Kelly Price (ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Award Winning  #2 BILLBOARD GOSPEL HIT, #11 R&B HIT “GOD’S GIFT TO THE WORLD”), Dick Van Dyke, Chris Isaak, Karyn White, Billy Gilman, The Jets, Howard Hewitt, Asleep At The Wheel, Dan Hicks, Bonnie Bramlett, Martha Davis, Martin Short, William Shatner, Tony Danza, Carl Anderson, Phil Perry, CeCe Winans, Chandra Currelley, Keegan Michael Key, Ted Neely, Carmen Twillie, Jane Lynch and many others. His list of celebrated collaborators includes Gerry Goffin, Paul Williams, Al Jarreau, Brian Setzer and David Foster.

He has written over 100 songs for the Walt Disney Records catalog including songs for “Winnie The Pooh Sing Along” “102 Dalmatians” the Grammy nominated “Winnie The Pooh: Take My Hand” among many others.  He co-wrote the theme song “Magic Everywhere” for Paris Disneyland. He has written and produced several children’s albums including “Clifford The Big Red Dog”, “Bozo And Pals” and “A T rex Named Sue” (Music For Little People)”. He has written and produced songs for several DreamWorks Animation projects including the original Shrek, Shrek 2 Dance Party, Shark Tale Club Oscar, The Madagascar Penguin Christmas Caper, Over The Hedge, Flushed Away and the Penguins Of Madagascar “Black & White Christmas”.  His band, the Rumble Bees and Sexy Worker Bees, made an album for Rhino Records.