She’s lively and lovely, funny and fun, a fountain of knowledge on education, music and more. She’s children’s performer Julie Austin, renowned for her popular kids’ songs and early childhood workshops, who hosted a family concert on Saturday, Sept. 26 for both the Green Valley and Galleria libraries.
Julie’s concerts got kids moving, thinking, singing and signing -- which Julie incorporates through a combination of sign language and gestures called “sign mime.” Her performances always include such educational aspects as different languages and question-and-answer involvement to stimulate the child mind. It makes sense when you learn that Julie not only has an undergraduate degree in Musical Performance but also a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Julie’s special training includes High Scope Training of Teacher’s Training and she’s received numerous awards for her CDs such as the National Parent’s Choice Silver Honor’s Award for “Fandagumbo” -- a collection of self-written song favorites.
Various Julie Austin songs have already been incorporated in Henderson Libraries story times before, such as her “Everybody Says Hello,” at the beginning of the Galleria Library’s Summertime Tales this past June, July and August.
Youth Services staff members from Galleria, Green Valley, Paseo Verde , Gibson and Malcolm libraries in fact had the opportunity to participate in one of Julie’s training workshops the Friday before her concerts to learn more about how to utilize different kinds of music, stories and songs in library programs. Julie got the adults moving, thinking, singing and signing just as much as the kids!
