Music & Concerts

Mostly Motown is a review of classic rhythm and blues and soul of the 1960s and 70s. Songstress Rhonda Denet and the Silver Fox Songs Trio will celebrate a time when this primarily African-American genre crossed over to mainstream audiences. Featured songs were made famous by female artists Aretha Franklin, Martha & The Vandellas, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Etta James, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield and Roberta Flack, as well as male artists Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Al Greene.

This concert will be outside in the front of the library. No registration or tickets are necessary. Attendance is on a first come basis. Bring your own folding chair as chairs will not be provided. Everyone must maintain social distancing.

Luis Medrano of The Motion Orchestra will be teaching a 4-week beginners workshop in animation for students entering grades 5 & up in September.  The workshop covers an introduction to hand-drawn ​digital animation, focusing on principles of motion and the understanding of core animation concepts like frames, layers, perspective, motion paths, scenes, camera angles and storytelling, all done using mobile devices which teens and tweens are so familiar with, using FlipaClip, a free mobile application (Android and Apple platforms) which students will have to download.  Participants will be signed up for all 4 classes, and will be emailed the ZOOM info before the first class.It is best to have two devices; one to join the Zoom session and a second to work on the animation.  It is suggested that a stylus touch pen or similar to draw on the mobile device would be a plus.

Registration is required.

Registration begins on Sunday, May 23rd and can be done by calling the Teen Services Desk at 201-529-7323 x 224 or online.  For the fullest enjoyment of this workshop, participants should attend all 4 classes.

Join Gerard and Diane Barros as they salute the legendary singer/songwriter Carole King and cover several of her great solo hits and classics she wrote for other artists, such as the Drifters, Shirelles, Beatles, Monkees, James Taylor, Cliffons, Herman’s Hermits and more! She made history with her milestone album, “Tapestry”, and with the multitude of timeless classics she wrote for so many musicians of the 1960’s and 1970’s. The present generation rediscovered her music with the Broadway production of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”.

This concert will be outside in the front of the library. No registration or tickets are necessary. Attendance is on a first come basis. Bring your own folding chair as chairs will not be provided. Everyone must maintain social distancing.

Luis Medrano of The Motion Orchestra will be teaching a 4-week beginners workshop in animation for students entering grades 5 & up in September.  The workshop covers an introduction to hand-drawn ​digital animation, focusing on principles of motion and the understanding of core animation concepts like frames, layers, perspective, motion paths, scenes, camera angles and storytelling, all done using mobile devices which teens and tweens are so familiar with, using FlipaClip, a free mobile application (Android and Apple platforms) which students will have to download.  Participants will be signed up for all 4 classes, and will be emailed the ZOOM info before the first class.It is best to have two devices; one to join the Zoom session and a second to work on the animation.  It is suggested that a stylus touch pen or similar to draw on the mobile device would be a plus.

Registration is required.

Registration begins on Sunday, May 23rd and can be done by calling the Teen Services Desk at 201-529-7323 x 224 or online.  For the fullest enjoyment of this workshop, participants should attend all 4 classes.

Luis Medrano of The Motion Orchestra will be teaching a 4-week beginners workshop in animation for students entering grades 5 & up in September.  The workshop covers an introduction to hand-drawn ​digital animation, focusing on principles of motion and the understanding of core animation concepts like frames, layers, perspective, motion paths, scenes, camera angles and storytelling, all done using mobile devices which teens and tweens are so familiar with, using FlipaClip, a free mobile application (Android and Apple platforms) which students will have to download.  Participants will be signed up for all 4 classes, and will be emailed the ZOOM info before the first class.It is best to have two devices; one to join the Zoom session and a second to work on the animation.  It is suggested that a stylus touch pen or similar to draw on the mobile device would be a plus.

Registration is required.

Registration begins on Sunday, May 23rd and can be done by calling the Teen Services Desk at 201-529-7323 x 224 or online.  For the fullest enjoyment of this workshop, participants should attend all 4 classes.

Prepare to fall in love again with the music of Simon & Garfunkel. From their first startlingly authentic rendition of Sound of Silence, to their playful version of Cecilia, Jeb Guthrie and Jock Guthrie will have every audience member smiling and singing along. Through songs, stories, trivia and humor, Jeb and Jock Guthrie pay homage to the music of Simon & Garfunkel and playfully engage the audience along the way. The show highlights the brothers’ deep spiritual connection to this music, and to the 60s, the period that made it all happen.

This concert will be outside in the front of the library. No registration or tickets are necessary. Attendance is on a first come basis. Bring your own folding chair as chairs will not be provided. Everyone must maintain social distancing.

Luis Medrano of The Motion Orchestra will be teaching a 4-week beginners workshop in animation for students entering grades 5 & up in September.  The workshop covers an introduction to hand-drawn ​digital animation, focusing on principles of motion and the understanding of core animation concepts like frames, layers, perspective, motion paths, scenes, camera angles and storytelling, all done using mobile devices which teens and tweens are so familiar with, using FlipaClip, a free mobile application (Android and Apple platforms) which students will have to download.  Participants will be signed up for all 4 classes, and will be emailed the ZOOM info before the first class.It is best to have two devices; one to join the Zoom session and a second to work on the animation.  It is suggested that a stylus touch pen or similar to draw on the mobile device would be a plus.

Registration is required.

Registration begins on Sunday, May 23rd and can be done by calling the Teen Services Desk at 201-529-7323 x 224 or online.  For the fullest enjoyment of this workshop, participants should attend all 4 classes.

As a Duo, Christine and Elliot have enthralled audiences with their passion, musical integrity and diverse repertoire (Christine- piano & vocals /Elliot- world percussion kit /sax) and play a wonderful mix of Pop, Latin, jazz, dance and listening material from writers such as James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Laura Nyro, Beatles,Steely Dan, Roberta Flack, Bill Withers, Burt Bacharach, Sting, Sergio Mendes, Jobim, Brazilian classics, Motown songs and jazz standards. Christine Spero is no stranger to the stage. As a teen she recorded with Neil Sedaka and Don Kirschner at RCA Records. Her song “He Wasn’t Always That Way” was the USA Songwriting Competition Jazz Category winner and “Caribbean Nights” was one of the finalists. The Christine Spero Group performs her original Nu-Jazz, Latin Fusion with 3 CD releases, the latest “Spero Plays Nyro” was a tribute to the music of Laura Nyro. Christine and multi instrumentalist, producer Elliot Spero have been recording and playing live shows with the group or as a duo for over 25 Years. Their music is Streaming on Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, Google Play and YouTube. Visit us @ http://www.christinesperogroup.com & Facebook. This concert will be outside in the front of the library. No registration or tickets are necessary. Attendance is on a first come basis. Bring your own folding chair as chairs will not be provided. Everyone must maintain social distancing.

Ages 18 months to 6 years old

Join us for yoga, storytime, songs, and dance! Mr. Chris from Magical Melodies and Miss Danielle from Bendy Bookworm Yoga will weave together exercise and songs for a program you won’t want to miss. This program will run for 45 minutes and is for ages 18 months to 6 years old.  No registration is required; this event will premier on Facebook Live.

Summer might be coming to an end by Justin Derman will
transport you to the Caribbean with the steel drum calypso music of Trinidad
and Jamaica. Enjoy such songs as I Shot the Sheriff, Brown Eyed Girl, Under the
Sea, Hot Hot Hot, Banana Wind, Tingalayo, Yellow Bird, Matilda, Rum and Coco
Cola, Banana Boat Song, Brown Skinned Girl Jump in the Line, Tequila, Tobago
Jam, Fungi Mama, Everywhere Calypso, Linstead Market, Come Back Liza, Body
Water, and Jamaican Farewell. Justin Derman has performed and toured through
the west coast with guitarist Larry Coryell and Laurence Juber from Paul
McCartney, other performers include Billy J. Kramer. He is a sought after
theater musician, accompanying over 30 different musicals. His performance
credits include orchestra percussion, contemporary music, world music and drum
set experience. Justin performs frequently with his Jazz Trio and Steel Pan
Ensemble while teaching privately and in the Berkeley Heights public schools.
Justin performs his steel pans in Caribbean restaurants including Bahama Breeze
, Hibiscus in Morristown and Breeze Cafe in Metuchen.This concert will be outside in the front of the library. No registration or tickets are necessary.  Attendance is on a first come basis.  Bring your own folding chair as chairs will not be provided.  Everyone must maintain social distancing.