SAFFORD — The Safford City-Graham County Library is bring back its nationally recognized early literacy concert series this week.
Red Yard will perform a free concert for children 0-5 (along with parents or caregivers) Thursday at the David M. Player Center for the Arts.
“He re-imagines American folk music and incorporates puppetry,” said Elizabeth Henley, Early Literacy coordinator for Safford Library.
Red Yarn, whose real name is Andy Furgeson, is actually performing numerous times over three days in the Gila Valley, with the Library offering free concerts to the local schools’ kindergarten through second graders on Tuesday and Wednesday, including Morenci and Duncan.
Furgeson said started performing for kids and families when, after graduating college, he was working at an after-school program and doing music for adults at night. He said his supervisor suggested doing music for kids.
“Right at the same time, I was digging into a lot of old American folk songs, just kind of learning the canon of old American folk music. And I found all these cool old animal folk songs that were kind of weird but beautiful and poetic, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this would be so fun to perform these songs for children,’ ” Furgeson said.
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
For 15 years, he’s been performing around the country with his puppets and has recorded 10 albums, including one with a former Safford Library Early Literacy Concert performer, Jazzy Ash.
“Any time I see the children smiling and laughing and dancing, it just fills me with so much joy and energy. It’s so contagious that it makes me feel young and makes me feel like I want to keep doing this forever,” Furgeson said.
Doors for Thursday’s free performance open at 9:30 a.m. and the concert starts at 10 a.m. All attendees will receive a free book, “A Fox went out on a Chilly Night.”
The Early Literacy Concert Series is sponsored by the Safford City-Graham County Library, City of Safford, First Things First, United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties, Gila Valley Arts Council, Graham County School Superintendent’s Office, Greenlee County School Superintendent’s Office and the Friends of the Safford Library.
The Safford Library’s Early Literacy Concert Series was recognized by the Library of Congress as an Emergent Strategies program.
