ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Summer reading continues to be well under way at Liberal Memorial Library and next week, the Liberal community will be treated to an old summer reading favorite.
Musician Aaron Fowler will be performing at Liberal Memorial Library Thursday, June 20, with the show to start at 2 p.m. Having performed at the library before, Fowler said he is excited to be back this time around.
“I'm always excited to come to Liberal. I'm excited to see everyone and see people who I've seen in the past and see how they're doing. It's always fun revisiting people and places,” Fowler said. “The last time I was there, it was an outdoor show, and it was shortly after that show when the staff had told me they wanted me to come back and be part of the summer reading program again, and it was at the convention event several months ago when we officially booked the date. It's always great being able to perform in smaller communities. Liberal's not exactly small, but being able to get out to Southwest Kansas and be able to perform and provide the community with entertainment is just a great opportunity.”
Fowler said the show should be a fun time for everyone in the audience.
“The theme for this year is 'Adventure Begins Today,' so we'll be talking about the different types of adventures the children like to go on and what they think is fun. We'll also talk about the importance of imagination and how it can be helpful and a lot of fun at the same time. Brainstorming and being creative are the best,” Fowler said. “There's going to be music, storytelling, audience participation, and a lot of fun. If you're into that, you're more than welcome to come and see how the show goes. Liberal's always had great audiences when we've come, and I don't see that changing too drastically for this time around. Each year has a different theme, and I write new music and material gearing toward whatever that happens to be, and I've even got some videos online of some of the music I've performed in the past if people want to take a look at any of that.”
The interaction with the audiences, Fowler said, is the best aspect of what he does.
“Making music with the children and getting them to sing along is the absolute best. I feel like we don't sing together enough as a culture nowadays, and it's too easy to put in our earbuds and lock into some video and isolate ourselves, to an extent,” Fowler said. “But we don't sing together as much anymore, and this is a great opportunity for that.”
Having performed summer reading program concerts for many years now, Fowler also talked about the importance of participating in community summer reading program activities.
“Getting children to be able to think in our 3D world and using their imaginations is extremely important. There are gadgets and gizmos and ideas that don't exist in these children's lives that could be sparked by an idea they had while at the library. Ideas begin by imagination, and the younger you can spark a child's imagination, the better,” Fowler said. “Reading opens up multiple worlds of possibilities. You can visit real places by reading and learning about them, or you can go somewhere like Narnia or Oz if you're more a fantasy fan. Either way, when you get a child reading, it helps take them places so far beyond what anyone realizes.”
Fowler added it is not just Kansas he will be bringing his musical talents to throughout the summer.
“We started off in Iowa, then went through Arkansas, and after we go through Southwest Kansas, we'll go through Southeast Kansas, and then we'll make our way to Nebraska for a week and then Wyoming for a week,” Fowler said. “It's eight weeks being on the road in our RV, so we get to really see the countryside and meet people and connect. While we were in Iowa, there was one of our stops where we were at a campground and a couple guys busted their guitars out and we had a jam session just right there, and it was amazing.”
Overall, Fowler said, with his upcoming Liberal stop, there should be a lot of fun had by the audience.
“We're really excited to be making our way back to Liberal, and I hope to see a lot of people from the community at the library and participating in the show,” Fowler said. “We're excited to come to Liberal, and we look forward to meeting everyone who comes out!”
