Live Music At The Library: One Program For Every Age

We once played a summer show at a library where every age turned up. Babies sat on laps in the front row. Preschoolers were up and dancing before the first song ended. In the back, a few older kids stood with their arms crossed, looking like they'd been brought along for a younger sibling.

By the middle of the show, those older kids were helping us lead the call and response. We'd sing a line, they'd shout it back, and the little ones would copy them. We see that mix at most library shows, so we plan for it.

Every age shows up, so we plan for every age

When a library puts a family program on the calendar, you don't get to pick who comes. You get babies, toddlers, school-age kids, parents, grandparents, and sometimes one caregiver with three kids of different ages. We build our shows so each of those groups has something to do.

The little ones get simple songs with lots of repetition and movements they can copy. Preschoolers get dancing, freeze games, and plenty of chances to shout along. Older kids get bigger jobs, like leading a verse or showing everyone a move. Grown-ups get to sing too, and most of them do by the second song.

Librarians have told us this works for their crowds. Jane Folger at Maplewood Memorial Library said, "Our group was a little older than usual, and he was able to engage the entire crowd for the entire show." Rachel Levine at the Jewish Museum of New York wrote, "Truly fantastic music that all ages were grooving together!"

Pick the format that fits your space

Most of our library programs run about 45 minutes. Here's what we offer:

• Library performance. One or two performers. It's a good fit for a community room or the space where you already hold story time.
• Full band show. Michael & The Rockness Monsters, with three to six performers and about 60 minutes of music. This one works well in auditoriums, on outdoor stages, and for summer reading kickoffs.
• Library Music Lab. A hands-on STEM drumming program for ages 2 to 12.
• Library music class. For ages 0 to 5, with grown-ups joining in. It's a lot like our Grown Up & Me music classes, just held at your library.

You can read more about each option on our library programs page. If you also help book programs for schools or preschools, we do preschool shows and school assemblies too.

Fun without being too loud

Library staff ask us about volume a lot, and it's a fair question. You've got babies in the room and patrons working nearby. We like to say we turn up the music without turning up the volume.

In practice, that means guitar, voices, and kid-sized instruments that we pass around so everyone can play. Kids still get loud when they sing along. We keep our own sound at a level that's comfortable for babies and easy on the rest of the building.

Music and books work on the same skills

Songs and picture books have a lot in common. Both lean on rhyme, rhythm, and repetition, and kids lean on those same things when they're starting to learn language and, later, to read. When a child sings a chorus for the fifth time, they're getting more practice hearing how words sound and fit together.

That's a big reason libraries book us for summer reading programs and story-time series. We've written more about how music helps build language and early literacy in babies and toddlers if you'd like the longer version. PBS KIDS for Parents also has a helpful piece on why reading aloud helps kids thrive. A music program fits right in next to the read-alouds you already run.

A room full of neighbors

A library show brings together people who don't usually end up in the same place. Kids from different schools sit next to each other. Grandparents come with their grandkids. Neighbors who've never met end up clapping in the same row.

We like that part a lot. For families with kids of different ages, it's also an easy outing where everyone can do the same thing at the same time, and nobody has to sit out because they're too big or too small.

If you're planning a summer reading kickoff, a story-time series, or a family program for the fall, we'd be glad to talk through which format fits your room and your crowd.

👉 Want to get a date on the calendar? Request a library show and we'll follow up to work out the details.

Thanks for reading,
The Rockness Crew
Rockness Music