Michael Rubin II is an American music producer, composer, voice actor and lyricist best known for his work in children’s television. Rubin has created musical pieces for shows including Bubble Guppies, Blue's Clues (in which he also voiced Mailbox), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Jack's Big Music Show, among others. His songs have been performed by artists including Ray Charles, Patti LaBelle, Macy Gray, Randy Travis, India Arie, Nell Carter, Toni Braxton, Phoebe Snow, and The Persuasions.
Career Rubin began his professional career making music for advertising. He founded the music production company Murmur Music Inc. in 1993. Murmur created music and sound design for commercials and promotional pieces for American Express, AMC, AT&T, Bell South, Citibank, Coca-Cola, Fisher Price, The Food Network, General Motors, Kraft, Maxwell House, Merck, Motorola, Nabisco, Paramount Pictures, Rockport, Samsung, UPS, VH1, Viacom, Volvo and others. He founded the company Rhumba which encompasses Murmur and Dubway Studios which is run by Al Houghton.
In 1995, Rubin (with writing partner Nick Balaban) created the music and sound design for the pilot episode of Blue's Clues. Rubin and Murmur created the soundtrack for all six seasons of the show as well as music for the traveling theatrical production Blue’s Clues Live, a feature-length direct-to-video movie Blue’s Big Musical Movie, the spin-off Blue’s Room, and other media. Rubin also provided the voice of Mailbox, as well as several other characters such as the Sun, who introduced “The Planet Song” in season two.
In 2007, Murmur Music partnered with Dubway Studios to form Rhumba Recorders, an audio production company for children's media. Shortly after this partnership, Rubin began writing and producing the songs and score for all seasons of the series Bubble Guppies.
Rubin, sometimes under the stage name Seth O'Hickory, has sung and voiced several characters in shows featuring his music. He sang lead vocals as a crab henchman in his song "She's So Mean," featured in the Bubble Guppies episode "Bubble Puppy's Fin-Tastic Fairy Tale."
Awards and nominations 2016 Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Original Song for “Little Froggie,” from the Bubble Guppies episode "The Running of the Bullfrogs"43rd Annual Daytime Emmy Award Nominations 2014 Daytime Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for the Bubble Guppies (with collaborator John Angier) 2012 Annie Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement: Music in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production for the Bubble Guppies episode "Bubble Puppy's Fin-tastic Fairy Tale" 2008 Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Original Song - Children's & Animated for "Duck 4" on Jack’s Big Music Show2008 Daytime Emmy Award Nominations 2004 Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for Blue's Clues31st Annual Daytime Emmy Award Nominations
Personal life Rubin was born to Jewish parents Carol (née Teichman), a chemistry teacher who taught at Schreiber High School and Arnold Rubin, who co-founded RHG Electronics in Deer Park, New York as well as a founding member of Kehillath Shalom synagogue. He grew up in Huntington, New York in Long Island. He married Tamara Hanneman in 1994 and they currently live in New York City.
Filmography Television Year Show Music Network Notes 1996–2007 Blue's Clues Composer, lyrics, voice of Mailbox/the Sun Nick Jr. along with Nick Balaban 2004–2007 Blue's Room Composer 2005–2008 Jack's Big Music Show Composer, lyrics Noggin/Nick Jr. 2006–2016 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Composer, lyrics "Mousekador Song" Disney Junior 2011–2016, 2019–2023 Bubble Guppies Composer, lyrics Nick Jr. along with Nick Balaban for Seasons 1 and 3 only. 2019–2024 Blue's Clues & You! Composer, original songs Nick Jr. along with PT Walkley and Nick Balaban2025–Super Duper Bunny LeagueComposerNickelodeonalong with John Angier
Film Year Film Music Studio Notes 2000 Blue's Big Musical Movie Composer, lyrics, voice of Mailbox Paramount Pictures, Nick Jr. Productions along with Nick Balaban
Theatrical Year Show Music Notes 1999-2003 Blue's Clues Live! Composer, lyrics along with Nick Balaban
References
External links
Official website of Rhumba Recorders