Jim Gill is known as a musician and author but he is also, by training, a child development specialist with a graduate degree from the Erikson Institute of Chicago. Because of his studies, his goal has always been to promote active play between adults and children with his music. Anyone who has ever attended one of Jim’s family concerts knows that rather than performing for the children and parents, Jim leads them to sing and play together. Jim spent twenty years directing weekly programs in...
Jim Gill is known as a musician and author but he is also, by training, a child development specialist with a graduate degree from the Erikson Institute of Chicago. Because of his studies, his goal has always been to promote active play between adults and children with his music. Anyone who has ever attended one of Jim’s family concerts knows that rather than performing for the children and parents, Jim leads them to sing and play together.
Jim spent twenty years directing weekly programs in music play for families with children with special needs in the Chicago area. His unique approach of combining word play and movement opportunities into songs were developed through this work. He now presents “concerts of music and play” to children and families throughout the country at theaters, libraries and schools. Jim also speaks to early childhood educators and children’s librarians about the many benefits of play in young children’s lives.
Jim has produced five recordings of music play activities that have received awards from both the American Library Association and the Parents’ Choice Foundation. He most recently created a program of “Symphonic Music Play”, new works for children accompanied by a full symphony orchestra. He looks forward to recording these original pieces and working with more symphony orchestras around the country.. Jim is the author of May There Always Be Sunshine, a picture book based on a traditional song he has sung with tens of thousands of children. The book received the 2002 Book Award from the Philadelphia Children’s Museum. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
