Jim Gill Workshop is almost here!

Musical Play is Learning Play with Jim Gill: A Professional Development Workshop - Fri. Aug. 14th 1-4pm

Attention Youth Services Librarians!  

Photo provided by Jim Gill

On Friday, August 14^th from 1:00-4:00pm, Jim Gill is offering a professional development workshop tailored for librarians and early childhood educators at the Oak Creek Public Library in Oak Creek, WI. Registration is required to secure your spot for this event. This workshop is free for participants.

Register now: https://events.getlocalhop.com/music-play-is-learning-play-with-jim-gill-professional-development-workshop-for-early-childhood-educators-and-librarians/event/mp0upT1Ace/

A free family concert will follow in the evening on Friday, August 14^th at 6:30pm. No registration required.

Other events to enjoy while in town include:

Oak Creek Kids Night in Drexel Town Square (Also Jim Gill concert venue, food trucks will be available!)
Friday, August 14^th, 5:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
https://www.oakcreekwi.gov/visitor/events/kids-nights

Oak Creek Farmers Market
Saturday, August 15^th, 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
https://www.oakcreekwi.gov/visitor/events/farmers-market

For more information, visit https://www.oakcreekwi.gov/visitor 

All these events are sponsored by Visit Oak Creek.

Free Professional Development Workshop with Jim Gill!

 Musical Play is Learning Play with Jim Gill: A Professional Development Workshop - Fri. Aug. 14th 1-4pm

Photo provided by Jim Gill

 

Attention Youth Services Librarians! Save the Date!

 

On Friday, August 14^th from 1:00-4:00pm, Jim Gill is offering a professional development workshop tailored for librarians and early childhood educators at the Oak Creek Public Library in Oak Creek, WI. Registration is required to secure your spot for this event. This workshop is free for participants.

 

Register now: https://events.getlocalhop.com/music-play-is-learning-play-with-jim-gill-professional-development-workshop-for-early-childhood-educators-and-librarians/event/mp0upT1Ace/

 

A free family concert will follow in the evening on Friday, August 14^th at 6:30pm. No registration required.

 

Coming from out of town? Hotel blocks are available while supplies last.

TownePlace Suites by Marriott Milwaukee Oak Creek for 169.00 USD per night - Last Day to Book : Monday, July 13, 2026
Book your group rate for Oak Creek Public Library-Jim Gill Event

Homewood Suites Oak Creek by Hilton 159.00 USD per night

https://group.homewood-suites.com/0cmx1t

 

Other events to enjoy while in town include:

 

Oak Creek Kids Night in Drexel Town Square (Also Jim Gill concert venue)

Friday, August 14^th, 5:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.

https://www.oakcreekwi.gov/visitor/events/kids-nights

 

Oak Creek Farmers Market

Saturday, August 15^th, 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

https://www.oakcreekwi.gov/visitor/events/farmers-market

 

For more information, visit https://www.oakcreekwi.gov/visitor 

 

These events are sponsored by Visit Oak Creek.

Representation In Children's Music: A Jumping Off Point

Have you been looking for better representation in the musical offerings for your programs, but are unsure where to begin?

Check out this amazing resource shared on Storytime Underground by Samantha Small of Thomas Crane Public Library!

WHO IS MAKING MUSIC FOR BLACK CHILDREN? 
These Black Artists Make Music Catering to Our Children and the Culture 

WORDS: ONGISA “GIGI GUMSPOON” MCKENZIE

VISUALS: SADE CLACKEN JOSEPH

Music Permissions? Look No Further

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

There has been alot of confusion around music permissions for online storytimes. What can be shared? Are musicians and media companies granting the kinds of limited permissions that book publishers are?

As in all questions that have popped up over the past two weeks, someone is working on that!

The someones in this case are CLEL (CO Libraries for Early Literacy) and specifically Jessica Frederickson. The group reached out to a host of musicians and gotten many permissions. But more than that they have written a clear and helpful blog post about it all. Thanks Jessica!

And for those who are interested in finding what children's songs you can sing that are in the public domain, don't forget this great doc from the Public Domain Information Project.

[Update 3/31/20 - also this earlier YSS blog post has publisher and author permissions and the latest on fair use]

Permissions (Books, Authors and Music) YSS COVID-19 series:

• Many Children’s Books COVID-19 Publisher Permissions Extended  6/24/20
• Virtual Storytime – Tips on Fair Use & Kids’ Privacy 5/4/20
• Want Permission? Current Info on Publishers and Authors 3/22/20; updated 4/23/20
•  Music Permissions? Look No Further  3/27/20; updated 3/31/20

Virtual Storytimes YSS blog COVID-19 series:

• Online Storytime Creation Tools  11/18/20
• Flipgard, Fanfare and Friends: Celebrity Storytime  9/21/20
• ALSC Virtual Storytime Guide is Out!  6/11/20
• Getting Started with Virtual Storytimes  5/27/20
• “How to Do a Virtual Storytime” Webinars 4/13/20
• Tips on Doing Online Storytimes During COVID-19 Closures 3/16/20; updated 3/20/20
• Storytime Goes Digital 3/20/20
• Digital Storytimes- You Do You! 3/31/20
• Digital Storytime, Screen Time and Intentionality – Oh My 4/6/20
• Facebook Live Online Storytime Tips 3/24/20
• Fixing "My Book is Backwards in Online Storytime!" on iPhone 3/22/20

Craft Stick Harmonica DIY

Super simple musical craft alert!

I just had a DIY Instruments program and the far-and-away winner was the Craft Stick Harmonica!  I used instructions found on the Housing a Forest blog.

It was simple, fun...and--chances are--you already have all the materials necessary on your craft shelves! 

Materials Needed:

• craft sticks
• paper
• rubber bands or string
• toothpicks
• scissors

Each patron will need two craft sticks.  We used the wide ones, so I can't speak for the success of the skinnier ones.  Cut a piece of paper the same size as your craft sticks and sandwich the paper strip between the two.

Wrap a rubber band or some string around one end until it is snug.  Then, slide a toothpick--cut to the approximate width of the craft sticks--to the inside of the rubber band/string.  Repeat with an identical toothpick at the other end and wrap with a rubber band/string. 

And THAT'S IT.

Simply have the kiddos exhale or inhale to make a unique noise.  They can also try pinching the sticks together to see how the noises and vibrations change!  There was a bit of a learning curve, but once they figured out the technique, it was a symphony of buzzing and giggles.

A Different Tune

Let's talk about music!  I have fallen back in love with my children's music collection.  What I first saw as a tiny, outdated, and admittedly old (I'm looking at you Kid Songs) collection, has grown to be a vibrant part of our circulating materials.  Yes, they are CDs, and yes that feels a bit 90s like all the time, but the miraculous part is that with a little weeding, relabeling, and choice additions of new music, this collection has grown significantly in popularity.

Not sure where to start with a children's music renovation?  Have no fear, SLJ's ClefNotes music reviewers are here, with the Top 10 Children's Music of 2016!  Titles include Justin Roberts' Lemonade and The Laurie Berkner Band's Superhero.  Check out the full list HERE and get your groove on!