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aaron fowler spotlight pageAaron Fowler performs a song during a past performance at Liberal Memorial Library. Fowler is scheduled to perform at the library June 21 as part of the summer reading program festivities. L&T file photo/Elly GrimmELLY GRIMM • Leader & Times

 

Liberal Memorial Library will be seeing a familiar face as part of the summer reading program festivities in just a couple weeks. 

Musician Aaron Fowler will be performing at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 21 at Liberal Memorial Library, and as Fowler tells it, the library's just one stop on his summer 2022 tour. 

“I'm traveling across the Midwest and I'll be hitting six states throughout June and July, which adds up to 35 libraries total,” Fowler said. “The theme of the summer reading program this year is 'Oceans of Possibilities,' which I absolutely love because there's so much you could do with that. I'm super excited to be back. I've performed at the library in Liberal four or five times now, it's always a great group of children in the audience, and they're always ready to have fun. The children's librarian there is also great to work with, and so is Royce [Kitts], so I always look forward to performing in Liberal and seeing those children and that library staff.”

Fowler added he will be bringing a pair of very special guests with him to the performance. 

“I always say the biggest draw is not me, the biggest draw is the two classroom therapy dogs I bring with me, Miss Bella and Choco. I always joke how no one remembers me since I'm just some bald guy, but they sure have fun with my canine friends,” Fowler said with a laugh. “The theme for summer reading this year is 'Oceans of Possibilities,' but the theme I've chosen for my show is 'The Boat,' which is based on my upcoming new children's book that will be out later this year, and it's just really fun. The most fun thing is getting children to sing and sing without abandon. So many children don't have the opportunity to just sing together and be silly in doing that, so my show is going to include singing and movement and a lot of other fun. And with the theme for this year, we'll also talk about what 'Ocean' and 'Possibilities' mean. Since the main audience will be mostly elementary school-aged children, we talk about how the ocean is a massive body of water no one can see across since it's so big, and I talk about how everyone has many possibilities they can take advantage of as they grow older and what they can decide for the future.”

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That interaction, Fowler said, is always the highlight of his shows. 

“My favorite part really is being around the children. I've been an educator for a little more than 35 years, and I still get a real kick out of working with children and helping them find their potential, whatever that may be, and help them realize they get to choose what they want to be when they grow up. I really enjoy that interaction with children, and being able to do that through music really opens up new opportunities and opens up something new in everyone,” Fowler said. “And children are awesome anyway, but when they sing together and have fun, they get a way better grasp of the concepts we talk about. I love meeting everyone who comes to the concerts at the different libraries, it's always a different crowd and it's great getting to know everyone. I'm in Oklahoma this week, I'll be in Texas next week and then I'll be making my way to Kansas and other places. The children are different everywhere I go, and I really enjoy meeting them and having that interaction with them and their families.”

That interaction also piqued Fowler’s interest in performing several years ago.

“I've been a musician since high school and then I went to college and got a teaching degree and taught junior high choral music and then I started touring around 1995 and I've been going since then,” Fowler said. “When I was in junior high school, a friend and I would frequently get in trouble in math class because we'd burst out singing and this friend asked if I played guitar, to which I said no. Then he said 'If you sing in my band, I'll teach you guitar,' and that's how that started when I was 16.”

With stops at many other libraries throughout the summer, Fowler said he hopes to meet a bunch of new people at his shows. 

“Come out, bring your children and enjoy the music and watch your children have a lot of fun and just have a great time,” Fowler said. “Libraries offer so much, and concerts like this are a great way for them to make a connection with their own public library. I love touring and traveling and seeing different parts of the country.”

Overall, Fowler said, he is excited to see how the summer tour goes. 

“I primarily perform in libraries during the summers, but during the school year, I also visit schools and other festivals, so I do a variety of performances. I'd love to come to Liberal and perform at one of the schools there at some point, I think that would be great. Anyone interested can also visit my Web site, aaronfowler.org, or singitout.org, which is a separate program I do with high schoolers and middle schoolers with songwriting.”