Musical Story Time in the Park

Please join Berkeley Library’s Story Time Band at the Virginia-McGee Totland (1644 Virginia St.) for live music, movement activities, and read-aloud stories! These events will take place on the following Thursdays at 10:30 a.m:

• May 4th and 18th
• June 15th, 22nd, and 29th
• July 6th, 20th, and 27th
• August 17th, 24th, and 31st
• September 28th
• October 19th and 26th

They also lead FREE Musical Story Time sessions at Freight & Salvage (2020 Addison St.) on first Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. 

For ages 2-7
 

Band Bio

In 2013, children's librarian Michael Kwende, known to Berkeley youth as "Mr. Michael," and retired librarian and guitarist Tim DeWolf, began offering musical story time programs at the Berkeley Public Library's Claremont Branch Library. Their events soon became so popular with children and their caregivers that it outgrew the library's programming space, requiring them to secure a larger venue to accommodate their audiences. That place became Berkeley’s Bateman Mall park, and soon after, musicians and library specialists Juan Castille and Donovan Russell joined the effort and the Story Time Band was born.

They have since brought their musical story time to numerous elementary school classrooms and libraries, and have performed at public parks throughout the city where over 150 children and their caregivers regularly attend their weekly events. In January of 2023, they began an artist residency at Freight & Salvage and performed at both this year's Berkeley Bay Festival and Bay Area Book Festival.

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