I have a confession to make…before I “became” Nina Music and started performing my “Sing, Sign, Dance” show in libraries, I never really gave libraries much thought. I didn’t use them as a place of resource or guide for new materials; I just drove by my local library and thought it looked pretty. Well, my world view of libraries started to change with my very first performance at the Roxbury Public Library in Succasunna, NJ. I was in a little room with all of my gear set up – my cool, new wireless microphone adorning my head and new guitar transmitter locked on my guitar strap– I was ready to rock! ...and I was extremely nervous and excited.
It was about ten minutes before the show and no one was there – so now I’m nervous for an entirely different reason. What if no one comes?? Of course, it didn’t occur to me that the door to the performance space was closed, which can be interpreted as a way of saying “stay out” to folks.
With just minutes to go, I decided to go fill my water bottle from the fountain, since I’d been sucking the water down because of my nerves. As I walked out into the hallway, I noticed the crowd that was patiently waiting and the line stretched around the bend all the way down the other hallway. They came! It was sippy cup heaven, and I was elated.
We had about 100 kids and parents in that first show, and it was great! That was the first time I realized the influence that libraries have on our communities, not only as a place for resource, but also as a public gathering place that honor shared experiences, learning, and discussion. There are so few public gathering places anymore, and we can all get so lost in our own personal entertainment worlds, so it’s important to value our libraries, to use our libraries, to let our local and state administrators know that our libraries are an integral part of our community.
So, if you haven’t been to your local library in a while, go check it out. A lot of them have great programs for kids..oh, and it wouldn’t hurt if you could ask for a Nina Music program.
Yours in music,
Nina