On Tuesday, June 30, the Tolono Public Library welcomed Chris Vallillo, a singer/songwriter and scholar. Mr. Vallillo presented his show on “The Power of Song in Democracy” in a crowded meeting room. Using five different guitars, a banjo, and various other instruments, he took the audience on a journey through the birth and development of our country through song. Beginning with our National Anthem (which was not originally supposed to be our nation anthem) all the way to “Imagine” by John Lennon including favorites and well-known tunes such as “Yankee Doodle”, “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too,” and “This Land is Your Land.” For each song, he explained the significance of the tune held during the time in which it was popular and encouraged the audience to clap and sing along. It was an enjoyable and educational experience that was the perfect segue into our nation’s 250th birthday.
If you missed out on Chris’s performance, then be sure to mark your calendars for our next big performance happening on July 20th. On that day, Laura Keyes will be here portraying Elizabeth Cady Stanton, suffragette, and will take us through her life in the early twentieth century and the fight for the right for women to vote. Be sure to register for this program on our website or by calling the library!
We are continuing the America 250 celebrations with a Colonial Game Day on Tuesday, July 14th. All day that day, drop in to the library and try your hand at old fashioned games kids would have played at home while the nation was fighting for its independence. We have a lot of other exciting upcoming programs happening at the library this week. Check out our website, tolonolibrary.org, sign up for our newsletters, or stop in and grab a calendar so that you stay up-to-date and don’t miss a single one of them!