Guest post from Marci Glaus at PBS Wisconsin Education

Whether you are preparing for Oceans of Possibilities this summer or looking to bolster early learning and youth services programming, PBS Wisconsin Education provides both Wisconsin-specific and nationally-curated content you can use as a springboard or central component to educational programming.

PBS LearningMedia is a free digital learning website created to support the distribution of compelling Pre-K-12 educational media resources. PBS LearningMedia’s robust and contextualized digital resources are designed to supplement educational experiences with video segments from award-winning PBS documentaries and series, PBS KIDS properties, station-produced programs, and original video and interactive resources!

Collaborative Summer Library Program
Examples below highlight some ideas from PBS LearningMedia that pair well with preparation for Oceans of Possibilities summer programming:

• Kick off storytime with the “Search for the Flying Fish” video from PBS KIDS Wild Kratts, to get children excited about creatures living in the ocean! Go deeper into activities with free/downloadable printables in English and Spanish. (Grades K-2)
• Use Follow the Water, a brief video (available in English and Spanish) from PLUM LANDING™ PBS KIDS aimed at tracking water from melting snow all the way to the ocean, including pollution and trash the water picks up along the way. Tie the video to books, games, or activities on the ocean/s or pollution. (Grades K-5)
• Dive into “Sharks and Shorelines” from EARTH A New Wild, to learn about social networks and coastal ecosystems including shark populations (Available in English and Spanish). Then choose any one of the other educational videos or supplemental materials to extend the learning while tying to books and other materials available in the library. (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

PBS Wisconsin Education
Beyond summer library programming, pbswisconsineducation.org offers seven different Wisconsin-focused collections for grades 3-12 with cross-curricular connections in American Indian Studies, English Language Arts, Environmental Education, Music, Social Studies, and Science. Collections include videos, student interactives, games, educator guides, and more. All of these resources are made with Wisconsin educators, and are completely free to use in any learning space!

If you have any questions or would like to talk further, please contact Marci Glaus: marci.glaus@pbswisconsin.org.

David HB Drake has been touring the Midwest for over 35 years presenting original and heritage music and folklore of the Great Lakes region at performing schools, festivals, concert stages and libraries.

"Wisconsin's vibrant past comes to life in Wiscon-Sing, a multi-media performance of  music and images featuring educator and folksinger David HB Drake.  David has performed Wiscon-Sing for 30 years and counting live in state schools and libraries.

David engages audiences of all ages in an authentic immersion into history, performing on handmade and historic instruments: mountain banjo, dulcimer, concertina, Native American flute, and guitar.

Stories of Native Americans, French explorers, European immigrants, Great Lakes sailors, lumberjacks and farmers are further enhanced with over 150 historic and scenic images and sing-along captioned lyrics. It was performed over 300 times statewide during the 1998 Wisconsin Sesquicentennial and over a thousand times over the years." Review David's Wiscon-Sing flyer here.

"Many popular folk songs have been illustrated as children's books. Taking the concept full circle, David sings folk songs such as This Land is your Land, This Little Light of Mine, The Marvelous Toy, and I've been working on the Railroad while the pages of the corresponding children's books are projected.

It’s like having a giant book that everyone can read the words and see the pictures while the illustrated songs are performed live so everyone can sing along!

​David plays authentic folk instruments including banjo, dulcimer, concertina, and guitar. This multimedia program was created with the help of the John Stewig Collection at the Center for Children's Literature, Hedberg Library of Carthage College in Kenosha WI."

Folksinger David HB Drake was there…

He played for Gaylord Nelson at the very first Earth Day in 1970, marched the streets of Madison in 1969 and has sung alongside Pete Seeger on the Clearwater. He remembers the era when folk music was shared across the country because he was there. “Blowing in the Wind” is a concert of those mighty times.

The classic music of David’s mentors - Peter, Paul and Mary; Pete Seeger; Tom Paxton; Phil Ochs; Bob Dylan; Woody Guthrie; Joni Mitchell; the Kingston Trio; John Denver and more echo down the years sung by someone who lived it and never stopped singing the songs.

David's program is presented with a PowerPoint panorama complete with sing-along slides and a history of the 60's folk era. 60 and 90 minute (full concert) and duo / trio versions are available!

For a wealth of information on David’s rainbow of performances for all ages, visit www.davidhbdrake.com and David HB Drake on YouTube.

Contact David at:
orgarts@gmail.com
414-702-6053

Mike Schneider is available to perform his Pint Size Polkas program year-round! Please view the introductory video below for the programs he's offering in 2022. Whether you’ll be back with in-person programming or are in need of virtual programming, Mike will bring a one-of-a-kind experience to your patrons that librarians across the country have praised for its quality, uniqueness, and memorability!

Mike tries to keep per program pricing around $350, including all expenses. The farther he travels, the more shows he needs to book to be able to make that happen, so please spread the good word to your colleagues! If you are interested in booking, please let Mike know so he can get to work making additional contacts. Mike looks forward to sharing his passion for polka music and family-friendly entertainment with your patrons in the near future! 

​Mike's contact information is:

To celebrate the Summer 2021 Reading Program, “Tails and Tales”, David is “Going to the Zoo” to visit “My Rhinoceros” and go “Waltzing with Bears” at “The Animal Faire”. Magical beasts like “Puff the Magic Dragon” play with “Jennifer’s Rabbit” in songs performed on guitar, concertina, banjo, dulcimer, and Native American flute.

David HB Drake has been called “the real thing” – a musician and historian with 40 year of experience performing throughout the Midwest.

Contact Organic Arts at orgarts@gmail.com (preferred) or call 414-702-6053.

Libraries over 100 miles from Milwaukee – please be “green” and  try to work with other area libraries to schedule more than one show a day and/or on adjacent days to save travel costs.

Programs can be done outdoors or in large rooms if COVID restrictions are still in place. David also has programs for the community, Library Week, and Seniors year-round.

For a wealth of information on David’s rainbow of performances for all ages, visit www.davidhbdrake.com and David HB Drake on YouTube.
--
David HB Drake
Creative Director, Organic Arts Ltd.
414-702-6053 / orgarts@gmail.com

Dear Library Staff,
​
Right now, we need ways to connect, and nothing does that like music – even on-line!

​​My name is Dan Robinson, and I've performed music for communities of all kinds for over 25 years. I would love to share music that inspires and brings people together with your library community.

After a recent on-line performance of my program, "Touring the Badger State," Wendy Rosenow at the Shawano County Library wrote:

“Dan transported us around our state from lakes to rivers and towns in between. He beautifully chose music from many artists to portray his stories. Humorous and poignant snippets of Wisconsin lore and history was relayed to our viewers in a one-hour concert that flew by!”

If you’re interested in talking with me about a performance, please click the link below, which will take you to my website where you'll find information on a variety of programs I offer, including the “Touring the Badger State” performance mentioned above. Or you can email me at dan@notesbydan.com with any questions you might have.

I know times are tough for library budgets, so I want to make these performances as affordable as possible. My suggested costs are $65 for a 30 minute program and $90 for a 60-minute program, but let me know if that’s a financial strain and we’ll work something out.  

Thanks for considering this, and I hope we get a chance to connect. Until then, stay safe!
Peace,
Dan Robinson

See Also: Dan Robinson: Musician, Educator & Writer

Check out the latest form Mike Schneider of Pint Size Polkas:


I hope you had a great summer despite the unusual circumstances!

If you are in need of a fun off-season program any time between now and April 30, 2021, I’m offering a standardized version of my prerecorded virtual show for just $50 per library for reservations made between now and September 30, 2020! If you’d like to host a live stream or in-person event, please contact me for a free quote. My shows are filled with polka music, magic and comedy, making a great fit in September and October for Oktoberfest season; January for National Polka Month; or any time some spirit-lifting fun is in order.

If you’re looking ahead to summer 2021, I have some big excitement in store for the “Tales and Tails” reading theme. We’ll have some musical fun with Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox; talk a little bit about chickens and do the ever-popular “Chicken Dance;” and learn about Able and Baker, the first monkeys to successfully return to Earth after spaceflight. Whether you need an in-person show (inside or out) or will be going all virtual in 2021, I would be thrilled to bring some musical joy back to the good people of Green Bay! Please visit www.pintsizepolkas.com/library for details and a brief showcase video.

Would you be interested in including my Pint Size Polkas show in your 2020-21 programming plans? Please let me know at your earliest convenience.

Thank you as always for your consideration, and wishing you all the best in these turbulent times.

P.S. Check out my “Scrub, Scrub, Scrub (COVID-19 Edition)” MP3 song and music video (below).
If your young patrons need a little extra encouragement in the hand washing department, hopefully this will help. Thank you!

Mike Schneider
(414) 431-4683
P.O. Box 126
Clinton, WI 53525
www.pintsizepolkas.com
Six-Time Polka Hall of Fame Inductee

Hi!  Does the library get into any fall outdoor concerts for your community / patrons? 
 
18 year old Fond du Lac resident Christian Strutz has had some recent interest and success with bringing live guitar/singing music to libraries this summer, and is making LIVE MUSIC a possibility by offering outdoor concerts for libraries at an affordable price.  Outdoor concerts are the perfect alternative to working around COVID concerns, we have found.
 
Some examples of August library concerts he has coming up include performances in the library courtyard/lawn, another right on the town’s Main Street, and yet one more in a city park (Baylis Park in Council Bluffs, IA) that is open to the entire city!  All great opportunities to offer these in-person programs while still allowing social distancing features for the audience by being outdoors.
 
Christian is a wonderful songwriter, singer, and guitar player.  He reached recent local “fame” with a song he wrote for graduating seniors entitled “Class of 2020,” that featured a heart-wrenching song about struggling through his senior year in quarantine.  It caught the attention of area newspapers, as well as CBS and NBC news channels in Green Bay who both did news pieces on his song/work.  These news clips can be seen on his www.christianstrutz.com web site.

Pint Size Polkas is available for virtual programming this summer, whether you’re looking for a live stream event or something that’s prerecorded and personalized for your patrons.  Mike would be glad to take questions and answer them during the course of my presentation. People are often very curious about the accordion and polka music, two important parts of our Wisconsin musical story!

For your adult patrons, Pint Size Polkas offers an educational and entertaining program on the History of Polka Music, and would be very happy to answer any questions they might have, as well.

As an itinerant storyteller and folksinger, Adam Miller has performed live concerts in more than 2,000 libraries in 48 states. In April, he received the Storytelling World Resource Award for his non-fiction story, Woody Guthrie: When the World’s on Fire.
 
Adam is coming out our way this spring. Please let him know if you’d be interested in scheduling a program at your library while he's in town. Adam has a popular program of Folksongs of the Great Lakes. And he have a program of Folksongs of the First World War for the Memorial Day holiday.
 
For a complete list of Adam Miller's many programs for libraries, please visit his website at
https://www.folksinging.org/concerts/programs/.

Adam's fee is $450 for one 60 - 90 minute sing-along program. There are no additional costs. He brings his own sound system. Click here for his brochure.

Debra Morningstar is an enrolled member of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of WI–Turtle Clan. As a professional storyteller and cultural presenter for the past 26 years, she has performed in schools, libraries, festivals and conferences across the US and Canada.

Her collection of Native American stories called “Tales From the Lodge” was nominated for a NAMA award in 2009.

Debra artfully weaves Native flute, drum, and song into her entertaining and thought-provoking performances. She is available for Keynotes, Festivals, Museums, Libraries & Conferences.

Looking for a fun, musical and magical way to celebrate our universe in 2019? Uncle Mike's music will have your patrons of all ages singing, clapping, and dancing along to such classics as the "Chicken Dance" and "The Happy Wanderer," and learning exciting new songs like "The Flying Machine Polka," all of which tie into 2019's Universe of Stories theme.