Let's make some music!
Children and their caregivers are invited to explore, touch, and play a variety of musical instruments in a fun setting. Discover the joy of making music and learn about different instruments up close.
Date & time: Monday, January 6 from 10:30am to 11:00am
Place: North Branch Library meeting room
Zimbabwe's beautiful mbira (both music and instrument) has been used for healing, personal meditation, celebrations, and sacred ancestral communication for over 1,000 years.
Musicians Salani Wamkanganise naGaadza and Erica Azim perform mbira together that will include a performance, discussion and a short period of instruction at the end for those who want to try playing the mbira instrument.
You can learn more about mbira from the Berkeley-based mbira organization here.
Our January session will explore punk and hardcore music, looking at regional styles from SoCal (LA and suburbs) and NorCal (the Bay Area and more) but also bringing in music from other scenes across the country and globe.
Celebrate the end of the Library's Westward Bound: African American Country Music History & Country Lore exhibit with a live performance by the Black Banjo & Fiddle Fellowship. December 14th is the last day to view the exhibit.
Every third Tuesday of the month, come up to the Central Library 5th Floor for this old-time tune jam hosted by the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention!
We'll play traditional instrumental tunes from the American old-time repertoire on fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, and all reasonably compatible instruments. Everyone, at all levels is welcome, including listeners — but note that it's a jam session, playing tune after tune, not a class or workshop or instructed experience.
What kind of music helps you brave the chilly weather?
Join the Story Time Band of the Berkeley Public Library for a morning of Halloween stories and songs! This program is most suitable for preschool and kindergarten aged children. Don’t forget your costume!
Location: Frances Albrier Community Center, 2800 Park Street, Berkeley
Join us for a musical story time with The Storytime Band followed by Fratello Marionettes’ presentation of their Spooktacular puppet show!
10:00 a.m. - Musical Story Time with The Story Time Band
11:15 a.m. - Fratello Marionettes presents "Spooktacular"
Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley
Sponsored by the Berkeley Public Library
The Library celebrates the Westward Bound: African-American Country Music History & Cowboy Lore exhibit with a keynote speech by musician and creative director, Mark Montgomery French, with a banjo performance by Hannah Mayree.
Join us for the inaugural session of the Berkeley Record Club!
In tune with the month of October, this event will celebrate that "Every Day is Halloween," delving into the range of goth and related subgenres (post-punk/darkwave/synthpop/industrial/experimental, etc.)
Library DJs will be starting off the listening session, then patrons will have the option of sharing song(s) of their choosing to play from the library collection, or their own LP/CD/cassette/digital collection.