Montecito Moms: Renee Stahl

Sometimes becoming a parent is how you find a rebirth of your current career; that was certainly the case for Montecito Mom Renee Stahl.

Stahl was already well regarded in the mainstream music world for rich melodies on solo records like Hopeful Romantic as well as on the debut by her duo, Paper Flowers. 

But it wasn’t until she was laying in bed that things took a whole different musical twist.

When expecting her first child, Stahl was put on bedrest. Unable to do much, her friend and singing partner, Jeremy Toback, suggested she do a Lullaby CD: “When I was in bed, [Toback] would bring his guitar over and we would write songs. We recorded the songs in my daughter’s nursery two weeks before she was born. This became our 1st CD, It’s a Big World.” Now, she and Toback have racked up over 4.5 million views on YouTube, and It’s a Big World is listed by Babble as #2 in their Top 50 baby music albums of all time.

Says Stahl, “Jeremy and I both came from indie singer and songwriter music… That translated nicely into music for children and families.”

After living in big cities and moving around, Stahl and her family officially decided to call Montecito home five years ago for cleaner air, less traffic, and the schools. The town already had a special place in her heart as she and her husband had their first date and eventually got married here.

Her favorite thing about Montecito are the trees and nature: “One of my favorite places to visit is Lotusland. Every time I go, I discover something new, something magical.”

Now, she makes music with her own children, Amelia and Isadora, and the music has reflected their lives as they have grown up: “From lullabies to the toddler stage, to cover songs and onward. I am thrilled that both of my daughters are on most current CD, entitled Kindred, which came out this year in April.”

To check out her music or learn more:

reneeandjeremy.com

reneeandfriends.com