William Paterson University Celebrates "The Week of the Child" with a Free Concert for Children on May 4

A concert for young children and their families will be held at William Paterson University on Sunday, May 4 in Shea Center for Performing Arts on the campus in Wayne.

Nelson Gill, an internationally acclaimed children’s musician, will present the concert, "Friends," at 2 p.m. Opening the concert is the William Paterson Dance Group, who will perform a special salute to children. Admission is free, and the concert is open to the public.

Now a professional performer, Gill was a preschool teacher for 15 years. He began his career by singing songs and playing his guitar to help his young students settle into naptime. Soon, the children began requesting songs and asking questions, which Gill answered through music. A native of Belize, he mixes upbeat lyrics and foot stomping rhythms to integrate music and movement across cultures.

The concert is sponsored by the William Paterson University Alumni Association, and is funded through the New Jersey Statewide Teacher Quality Enhancement Consortium, a five–year, $8 million federal grant. For additional information, please contact Janis Koeppel Strasser, an associate professor of early childhood education, at strasserj@wpunj.edu, or Holly Seplocha, assistant professor of early childhood education, at seplocha@wpunj.edu.

For Further Information, contact:

Mary Beth Zeman, Director, Public Relations 973-720-2966

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4/07/03