March 2008 Tour Dates

March 16 at 4:45-6:15, Educator Workshop, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Conference, New Orleans, LA
March 23-31, Performance and Workshop Tour, San Jose, Costa Rica

Shokran (Thanks) Bahrain and UAE!

After 32 hours in planes and airports, I arrived home on Saturday from my two week tour in the Middle East. My schedule was booked solid with performances and workshops in three countries; Kuwait, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, where I was met with warm welcomes and generous hospitality. Smiles and giggles were abundant as teachers and students learned some unusual food names from Louisiana, and even more giggles ensued when I attempted to pronounce Middle Eastern food names like balaleet, machboose, briyani and sammoosa. No matter how you pronounce them, these foods tasted delicious!

I did manage to find a few moments to be a tourist. I walked on the beach of the Arab (Persian) Gulf, shopped in souks in downtown Manama, Bahrain with my friend Fatema, saw camels roaming the desert and goats climbing rugged mountain terrain in Fujairah, UAE, saw a ski slope in a mall in Dubai, drove through two sand storms and shared meals with many new friends in the region.

The trip was quite memorable and enjoyable and I have been asked to return for another tour in March 2009. Shokran (thanks) to all of my hosts as well as all the educators and children who attended my workshops and performances. I hope to see you all next year!

Kuwait Was Great!

My brief three day tour in Kuwait was great! I performed concerts for Kindergarteners in an American Academy. The children and teachers were delightful and really enjoyed participating in my silly songs at "turbo" speed. I also conducted workshops for high school students, and workshops for educators at the American University of Kuwait. The teachers were enthusiastic and eager to use the activities in my workshop with their students. Did I mention the food was delicious? I even made the ArabTimes news! I want to thank my hosts for making my trip to Kuwait memorable and enjoyable. I hope to see you all again soon.

Mardi Gras Maracas

Here is a fun craft for making music this Mardi Gras!

MARDI GRAS MARACAS by Johnette Downing
Copyright 2005 Johnette Downing

Materials:

Dry, empty and cleaned plastic water bottle with lid
Mardi Gras beads

Instructions:

1. Place three or four Mardi Gras beads in an empty and clean plastic water bottle.
2. Screw bottle lid securely on bottle.
3. Shake!

Middle East Tour

I am gearing up for my upcoming tour in the Middle East from February 8-22, 2008. I will be performing concerts and workshops in Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirants. I am looking forward to the sharing of cultures through music with children, parents and educators.

Dixieland Jazz for Children CD Available in Stores

The Dixieland Jazz for Children CD is now available online and in stores at:

Maple Street Children's Book Shop, New Orleans, LA
Garden District Books, New Orleans, LA
Mignon Children's Shop, New Orleans, LA
Linden Tree Children's Books, Los Altos, CA
www.Amazon.com
www.CDbaby.com
www.johnettedowning.com

Bay Area Tour a Big Success!

I have just returned from my tour of the San Francisco Bay area. I had performances in schools and libraries in Millbrae, Santa Clara, Petaluma, Foster City and Los Altos. I had a great time singing and dancing with children and their parents and educators.

I also had a chance to visit Monterey, Carmel and Point Lobos as a tourist with my friend and fellow musician. The vistas were stunning. The Monterey Aquarium was amazing as well. I was so inspired by the living kelp forest in the Aquarium that I wrote a song and several poems about it. Here is one of the poems I wrote:

kelp forest
the ocean
breathing

Immediately after my performances, I was booked for another tour in the Bay Area in July, 2008. So, I'll be seeing my Bay Area fans again real soon!