LA Opera Talk with Live Singers!

The February 21st Opera Talk will be on Mozart’s The Magic Flute and will feature live singers performing selections from this classic opera that has long been a favorite for children and adults. Thanks to the Friends of Crowell Public Library, Soprano Anne Gholson and baritone Cody Lowry will be joined by tenor Roberto Esqivelzeta and perform excerpts from the opera, including such delights as the Queen of the Night aria.

Cody Lowry grew up in Pasadena,CA and studied classical voice at Pasadena City College. He's worked with Aram Barsamian, Gail Gordon, and thanks to the Pamela L. Gerard Scholarship, the internationally acclaimed artist Carol Vaness. He has performed such roles as Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro at PCC), Masetto (Don Giovanni), Don Alfonso (Cosi fan Tutte at The Broad Stage), and Papageno (The Magic Flute at PCC). Anne Gholson obtained her B.A. of Music, with a focus in Vocal Performance at Cal State University, Long Beach. Once her love of opera had blossomed, she performed the role of Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro. Anne has had musical theater roles as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, and Vera Charles in Mame.
Tenor Roberto Esquivelzeta hails from México City and first studied with Maestra Diana Jimenez, and Maestro Julio Julián. Since then he has accumulated a multitude of performance credits, including his 2014 Los Angeles debut in concert with the Repertory Opera Company. In 2015 he sang the main role in the opera I Pagliacci with the renowned Maestro Frank Paul Fetta and the Marina Del Rey Symphony Orchestra. He has sung the role of Prince Ishizukuri in the U.S. premiere of the Japanese opera Kaguya-HIme at the Aratani Theatre in Los Angeles.

The popular LA Opera Talk series brings community educators to Crowell Public Library where they present fascinating facts and excerpts from the operas that are playing downtown at the Music Center. The always knowledgeable and entertaining speakers talk about the story of the opera, and give information about the composer and the music. Come explore the world of opera through LA Opera’s education programs. Opera is literature, social studies, cultural diversity, multiple languages and most of all, it is exciting! It has something for everyone. Don’t miss this special LA Opera Talk brought to all by the Friends of the Crowell Public Library.

Linda O. Johnston: Bite the Biscuit

Thursday February 11th 7:00 p.m.

The Friends of Crowell Public Library’s Meet the Authors series continues with Linda O. Johnston, author of the Barkery and Biscuits Mystery series about veterinary technician Carrie Kennersly, known for her healthy dog treats at the clinic where she works. When the owner of the local bakery moves away, Carrie jumps at the chance to buy the business and convert half of it into a “barkery,” a shop where she can make and sell her canine delights. But Myra Ethman, co-owner of another pet product store, hates the competition, insisting she'll find a way to shut the place down. When Myra is found dead with a Barkery biscuit beside her, Carrie must prove she didn't do it before she's collared for murder.

Local writer Linda O. Johnston's first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the year. Since then, Linda, a former transactional lawyer, has published more short stories, novellas, romance and mystery novels, including the Pet Rescue Mystery Series and Pet-Sitter mysteries. She currently writes the Superstition Mysteries and the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries, and also writes for Harlequin Romantic Suspense. Her short story Love on Sunset Boulevard is part of the anthology Murder on Sunset Boulevard. She is a member of the Orange County chapter of the Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Los Angeles Chapter, the Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. Linda lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Lexie and Mystie.

If mysteries and romance intrigue, come to Crowell Library and learn more about Linda O. Johnston on Thursday, February 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the library’s Barth Community. Thanks to the Friends of the Library, the authors keep coming to Crowell Public Library!

Classical Guitar Concert with Thao Nguyen & Howard Le

Monday, February 8, 7:00 pm


For everyone who loves music and guitar, Crowell Public Library presents a free concert on Monday February 8th at 7:00 p.m. featuring a program of lilting classical and contemporary music, as well as some new works. Howard Le and Thao Nguyen will demonstrate how one can express different feelings and effects from just a simple wooden box. Various guitar techniques will be presented and explained. They will also play some culturally-themed pieces for the Lunar New Year celebration. This concert is also Thao Nguyen’s debut concert in the United States, although she is very well known in her native Viet Nam. She has her M.F.A and has been among the top guitarists and guitar teachers at the Saigon Music Conservatory for more than twenty years.

Howard Le is a classical guitarist and composer who has been devoted to music for more than 30 years. He believes life creates music, and music enhances life. He has been a member of the New York City Classical Guitar Society, the Amateur Classical Music Association, and the September Concert Foundation of New York City. He has performed annually at the Vermont International Festival since 2012. He has performed at Carnegie Hall New York with ACMA in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and at various events with the September Concert Foundation. He wrote the memorable score for the short movie NomWah in 2012.

Thao Nguyen has won various national competitions in her native Viet Nam as well as the 2nd round of the Printemps de la Guitare in Brussels, Belgium. Her performances have aired on the Viet Nam TV Network numerous times as a soloist and as part of an ensemble and duo, including her twin sister Thu Nguyen.

Don’t miss this free event of moving music at Crowell Public Library.

Brain Aerobics Returns to Crowell Library - Lip Reading Made Fun

Mondays & Tuesdays starting January 25

Challenge your memory, improve your language skills, and ease the burden of hearing loss by learning to lip read. In these fun and stimulating classes, students will enhance their verbal skills by analyzing how language looks and sounds. Instructor FRANCINE KATZ challenges the class to memorize sentences, play word games and focus on lip-reading skills. She has taught this class at various locations for over 45 years and students rave how their mental agility has improved after participating. Classes begin Jan. 25 and Jan. 26 and will run through June 6 and June 7 with the following exceptions: No class Feb. 9, April 11, and May 30.

Francine Katz, MA, SLP, CCC, is a graduate of Northwestern University and a licensed speech-language pathologist and lip reading specialist. Mrs. Katz was with Pasadena City College for over twelve years. She was “Teacher of the Year” at PCC in 2005. She was also listed in “Who’s Who in America,” Western Section.

Get your brain in shape with a free weekly two-hour workout in the Barth Community Room at Crowell Library in a relaxed atmosphere with rewarding results. Choose either Mondays from 12:30p or Tuesday mornings at 9:30a. Or come and sample a class and then return ready to do some work as a regular attendee.

Boosting your brain power can only help you age with grace!

Climate Change and Extreme Weather: Looking for Solutions

Thursday, February 4th, 7:00 p.m.

The climate crisis is a subtle problem because it doesn’t manifest itself like weather, which changes from day to day. But 97 percent or more of climate scientists* tell us that human-caused climate change is real and getting worse, and the daily news seems to bear them out. The crisis is already too big for individual actions alone to make any difference in solving it. So how shall we respond, collectively? In a lively presentation with easily understood terms, ROBERT HAW, an engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, discusses the changes occurring in our world, such as sea level rise, ocean acidification, more floods and droughts, a changing balance among plants and animals, and the ways in which these changes affect us. Accumulating climate stresses will especially hurt those who are less fortunate, both here and around the world, and our children.

Such a future is not inevitable though, so Haw also describes several proposed policy options to slow these dangerous trends. The options are important to understand because different solutions lead to radically different outcomes. Find out more about these proposals and how they might help preserve a safe operating space on Earth for humanity. A question and answer period will follow the presentation, including a discussion of follow-up actions that you can take. If time permits, a summary of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris will also be presented.
A physicist by training and a graduate of Stanford University, Robert has been employed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 25 years as a navigation engineer on exploration missions across the solar system. He's currently working on SMAP, an Earth-orbiting spacecraft designed to monitor soil moisture levels around the planet. In 2012 Robert co-founded the Pasadena Foothills chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby, an organization exclusively devoted to building the political will for a livable planet. He has spoken frequently in Congressional offices to elected representatives and to public audiences in the Foothill communities about a practical & non-partisan solution to the climate crisis.

Helping Hands for Hand Held Devices

Three Saturdays
January 23, February 27 and March 26
2:00-4:00 pm

Electronically savvy and patient students from San Marino High school will be available on three upcoming Saturdays from 2:00 PM to 4:00 pm at Crowell Public Library’s Thornton Room to help frustrated people figure out how to use their hand-held devices. People can sign up for any or all of the free sessions. Each class is independent and informal. Many people have iPods, Androids, tablets, iPhones, and other gadgets, but can’t figure out all of the features. The teen volunteers are familiar with many of the concepts behind these devices, so even if they haven’t used a particular gadget, they may be able to help a person figure out what to do.
This program was initiated by San Marino High School student Chunbill “Billy” Liu who grew up surrounded by gadgets, but noticed there was a technology gap with people who did not have that advantage. Billy approached Librarian Rex Mayreis about closing this gap, while getting in some community services hours for himself and his friends, but has continued the program because there is such a need. The Los Angeles Times covered a session last year and posted a video about it at http://lat.ms/1sODdVg.
If you are frustrated with online and telephone support options, come to Crowell Library and work with a living, breathing techie that will help you “bond” with your device. There’s nothing like one-on-one assistance to help solve problems and tackle sticky widgets.
Registration is required for this program. To reserve your spot, please call 626-300-0777, extension 579 as soon as possible. There are a limited number of teen volunteers, so slots will fill quickly.

Preparing for Special Needs Adulthood

Thursday, January 21, 7:00 p.m.

Over the next decade, many autistic children will reach adulthood. Parents need to have the resources in place to help them. Parent and motivational speaker Amalia Starr wants to help free families who are trapped in the belief that their autistic adult child would not survive out in the real world. Starr’s son, Brandon has taught her it doesn’t have to be that way.

On Thursday, January 21, Amalia Starr will present a program on how she helped her autistic son live his dream of independence when the professionals deemed it impossible. Amalia has been recognized as a pioneer and a trailblazer. By sharing the truth from her personal experiences over the past forty years, she shines a light on the path ahead to make life easier for other families traveling the same trail. Independence is an ongoing process that takes time but will work best if addressed before children reach their teenage years. If one needs additional motivation, just remember children will live 75% of their lives as adults. “When most people hear autism they associate it with a child,” says Starr. “But like my son, Brandon, our children grow up, and we want them to live well and learn how to survive in the world.”

Amalia Starr is a Transition and Independent Living Coach and founder of the Autism Independence Project. She is the author of Raising Brandon: Creating a Path to Independence for Your Adult “Kid” with Autism & Special Needs. Her latest book, “I Have Autism… What’ll I Do Without You, Mom? How to Prepare for When Your Special Needs Child Outlives You was released in October 2014.
Come to Crowell Public Library on Thursday, January 21 at 7:00 p.m. and benefit from Amalia Starr’s insights and life lessons.