Designing Inclusive Musical Storytimes
“I think to have every single child see people who have all sorts of identities, who are leaders in the community and have contact with them, and to get to experience this beautiful music making is of the utmost importance.” – Betsy Kowal
Meet Betsy Kowal, singer, musician, lover of children’s picture books, and Library Assistant in Children Services at the Appleton Public Library in Wisconsin. Betsy’s love of libraries begins with her mother as she was a children’s librarian. Books were everywhere and everything in her household. Betsy studied music for her undergraduate and graduate degree. She worked at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music where she developed musical programs before transitioning into the library profession.
Betsy applies her upbringing, musical background, and experience at the conservatory into her current library role. She’s navigating how to incorporate cultural music making in a traditional storytime. Since beginning her role in the fall of 2020, she has created several brand new children’s programs. Bouncing Beats focuses on developing early music literacy skills by teaching children how to internalize beats and then express it. It also introduces composition and improvisation. Backyard Groove reimagines traditional storytimes by partnering with local cultural bearers to amplify their music traditions. Mariachi, Samba, Gamelan, Ghanaian, and music from indigenous tribes within Wisconsin have been featured. Additionally, she received an East Asia in Wisconsin grant from the University of Wisconsin – Madison that funds program collaboration with East Asian artists. Program collaborations include a Korean paper artist who will teach Korean mask dance and a Hmong artist who will share Hmong leaf blowing music.
The purpose of introducing different cultural music traditions in children’s programs is to foster a community that’s more inclusive and antiracist for families to live in. It’s Betsy’s hope to break the cycle of English folklore music historically used in storytimes and ensure families that their ancestors’ music are valued and uplifted at the library.
Tune into this podcast episode with Betsy Kowal, where she shares how she teaches children to embody the power of music and connect musical elements to a culture. If you have any follow up questions, you may contact Betsy at ekowal@apl.org.