Family Sing-a-longs at Bestsellers Cafe

Guitarist & singer Matt Heaton and Bestsellers’ Cafe are proud to announce a new series of sing alongs for infants & toddlers, along with parents and caregivers. The events will take place on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 10am at Bestsellers Cafe, 24 High St. in Medford. Dates are: March 13, April 10, May 8 and June 12.

The series came about because Heaton, who leads similar events at libraries throughout the region and is a Medford resident, wanted to see a regular event in his town. “As a parent of a toddler, I love the free library events.” says Heaton. “But I also like music in cafes, and places where parents can get coffee or a bite to eat. I approached Rob at Bestsellers because their space seems perfect, and he was very enthusiastic about the idea.” A grant from the Medford Arts Council helped bring the idea to reality. “Getting funding from the Arts Council was a huge help, and enables us to keep the actual sing alongs free.”

Heaton is best known as a traditional Irish musician. He performs in a duo with his wife, flute player Shannon Heaton. Together, the duo travels extensively, performing throughout the US and abroad. “We’ve always done some music for kids,” explains Matt, “but since becoming parents, it has become more natural to expand that role. We play music at home with our son all the time, so I was getting quite a repertoire together before I ever did it in public.” Heaton says that playing for kids is one of the more rewarding things he does. “The thing about children’s music, is kids are very immediate in their feedback. If they are having fun, you know it. And it’s a really fun challenge to keep that kind of audience engaged.”

– Information from Matt Heaton