Photo by Elizabeth Connolly
by Elizabeth Connolly
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Walpole Public Library (WPL) was full of bliss recently when Needhamite Evan Haller of Music at the Blissful regaled local children with stories, songs, and dancing.
Though the show started off a bit slow - “I heard Walpole folks tend to run a bit late,” Haller joked - they quickly livened up as the music started and more and more families trickled into the community room. Favorites like the Truck Song, Funky Monkey, and the Frog Song were performed to joyful youngsters. The highlight was the parachute play at the end of the session, which had kiddos gleefully playing on top of and then underneath the colorful fabric.
The magic in Music at the Blissful is Haller’s ability to engage the crowd. It is not uncommon to see a shy preschooler or a reluctant older child slowly start to warm up and engage as he performs lively, amusing songs. These songs typically also have an educational or emotionally intelligent undertone, such as language skills or body awareness.
“I really enjoy it, and I like to do be able to offer it for free (admission) when I can,” said Haller about the program. Mr. Evan, as he’s sometimes called, hails from Needham, as mentioned, and offers classes and programs, as well as birthday party appearances and concerts. In fact, he just got back from a summer tour in which he traveled as far out as Michigan. Haller also recently released his new CD, his fifth in as many years, which is titled This. “My latest album was inspired by the work of children’s performer Ella Jenkins, who passed away last year,” Haller shared. “(The cover)…was drawn by a second grader who was once in my baby music class and would send me her drawings, so I asked her to make my album cover.”
Mr. Evan’s other accolades include having two storybooks that were created from his song lyrics (he gifted WPL a copy of each during his performance). He’s also a proud supporter of local artists and video creators. Additionally, he’s a member of the Recording Academy that can vote on the Grammy’s. Haller is also successful on YouTube, having 57k subscribers and 50 million views on the popular platform.
More information about Evan Haller and Music at the Blissful can be found at musicattheblissful.com. This event was generously sponsored by the Harding Family in memory of Eleanor “Soosie” Harding, WPL’s first children’s librarian. Entertaining programs like this one can be found on WPL’s website, www.WalpoleLibrary.org.
