BIO & QUOTES |
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BIO
Purly Gates'
repertoire as a singer/songwriter/educator is as diverse as her
experience from an Earth
Day concert at Disney World or a Residency in
Micronesia funded by the National
Endowment for the Arts - to national touring
and local prominence. She enchants audiences of all ages, actively
engaging
her listeners with relevant, appropriate material covering subjects from peace to
pizza, environment to retirement.
This
uniquely energetic and creative singer
accompanies herself with
guitar, banjo, accordion, ukelele, harmonica, and
umpteen odd or
home-made instruments. Her
musical styles range from mostly folk and
swing to old western songs, a touch of blues,
bluegrass or even an occasional
rap. And she may do a little
story-telling or recite cowboy poetry between songs,
if the time is right......
Purly has given hundreds of performances at schools, libraries,
childrens'
museums, camps, recreation centers and festivals from Austin to
Boston,
'Frisco to Maui and beyond. She also conducts workshops for
children in
instrument-making, songwriting, and multi-track recording as
well as
Staff-Training Workshops for teachers, counselors and others
involved
with young
folks. Purly's work is well-known and well-respected in the
state
of New Hampshire, where partial funding is available through the
NH
State
Council on the Arts. Since the 1980's she has gained a
reputation
as an experienced, skilled and talented professional artist
through her work with
folks of all ages around the U.S. She now spends time in both
Texas and New Mexico.
Purly was commissioned by the Texas State Library to write a
theme song for their
Summer Reading Club. She recorded it in English and
Spanish!
She is a regular performer at the prestigious Kerrville Folk
Festival, Youth Concert stage.
Purly has three commercial recordings geared to young folks and
families.
Ms. Gates was featured in an article on three Texas "Eco
Musicians" in
Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine, May '12 issue.
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QUOTES FROM PRESENTERS
School
Programs & Professional Development Workshops
FROM STAFF AT
MT. VIEW ELEMENTARY, ELKO, NV
/ Western Program 2016
"Purly, it was
terrific having you here at Mountain View. Our students and
staff
thoroughly
enjoyed your time here. You are terrific with the students,
and this made for
a terrific Cowboy Poetry Week." ~ Mr.
Foss, Principal
“Many
thanks for your ….. absolutely
top drawer performances
for our school
kids.
Great
musicianship and diversity. Thanks so much
for really great work
with our kids!” ~ Ms. Scott, 4th
gr.
“I thought
Purly Gates was fabulous!
She did such a great
job engaging
my first graders from start to
finish. They loved being able to interact
and sing along with her.” ~ Mrs.
Zamudio, 1st gr. .
“We really
enjoyed Purly Gates. She was very engaging and
(the) sing-along was
fantastic! ” ~ Mrs.
Kim-Failing, 2nd gr.
“I thought Purly
Gates’ performance was
great! She had control over the kids
so they didn't get out of hand.” ~ Mrs.
Sarbacker, 2nd gr.
*************************
“Purly Gates has joined us
many times. She
engages the children so they feel part of the song.
Purly’s presence is one of joy. We would highly
recommend her to any program looking to
incorporate music into their day.” ~ Melanie
Ullman, Director, Keene Day Care Center, Keene, NH
"It was awesome! Thank you for the excellent literary,
science, and social
studies
connections to your songs. They're catchy, impactful, AND educational.
-A. Braziel, Librarian,
Blackshear Elementary School, Austin, TX
"We just had Purly Gates perform for our campus and the students and teachers loved her.
She does unique literacy-themed presentations that are
well-organized and geared to the
developmental needs of each grade level. The music is wonderful and truly
supports
literacy and life-long learning. I would recommend her
as an event to celebrate Read
Across America or to kick off a summer reading program."- C. Hicks, Libr., Kocurek Elem, Austin,TX
"Thank YOU for all your work with the kids - they had a
BLAST!!!
They are still talking about it"-M.
Prince, Music teacher/5-day Instrument-making residency
coordinator, Canaan Elementary School, Canaan, NH
"Thank you for such a wonderful program that not only entertained but put
positive ideas about reading and being creative into the minds
of our 4-6
year olds at HMD!! The children could really relate to
your Dr. Seuss/Cat in the
Hat routine and we all know and LOVE Bill Martin's Brown Bear
story! I was
especially pleased to see that you understand and know what our
little ones are
like and what it takes to hold their attention. You did a
fantastic job. Finally, your
songs were wonderful and it was easy for the children to
participate and sing
along. Many of our kids had never seen an accordion or
banjo/ukulele played
live! They loved it. I wish you well and hope to see you next
year at our school."
-Carol Williams, Kindergarten teacher, HMD Early Childhood Center,
Beeville, TX
"Everyone is still
talking about you and how much fun YOUNG AUTHOR
DAY was this year!.....Great performance, excellent
rapport with the students.....
thanks for our school song!" -Sandra Davis, 3rd grade
teacher, Tenie Holmes Elem, Bay City, TX
And from other staff
members at Tenie Holmes:
"More....more.....more.....we want you back" D. Houston
"Great
songs.... children loved the sing-alongs."
"Terrific, terrific, terrific" "Superb! Thanks for
coming!" B. Walker, Principal
"Just wanted to say thanks once again for the performance
you shared with
our Fern Bluff students, parents, staff and families. Your presentation was
truly a fun and interactive way of making books "come
alive" through songs.
Your energy and excitement for reading was contagious!"
-Dr. Elizabeth A. Wilson, Principal, Fern Bluff Elementary,
Round Rock, TX
"Great performance today!
My 3rd grade class and I really enjoyed your
performance this AM!!! It was so very appropriate for 3,4, and 5th grade
students...
reading, writing and diversity!!! Fantastic and timely.
Thanks!" - Karen DuFresne, Franklin
Elem School, Keene, NH
And from other staff members at Franklin School:
"I thought
the concert was great. The songs really connected with what we are trying
to teach and
you had a relaxed yet in charge manner with the kids."-Nancy
Archanski, librarian
"My students
were so happy when we got back to the classroom. They
loved
your performance as did the staff with-in my setting. Thank
you for everything
you do and share. You
open up the world of music for many children
".
-Marijo Varney, Intermediate CLC class
“You
presented a program that was both highly informative and
extremely entertaining.
You have a real gift for sharing your musical talents with
children. I was particularly
impressed with your ability to keep the interest of the
children, get them involved in the
music and keep the group well in control - all at them same
time. I look forward to having
you at our school again in the future.” -
Pat Reuter, prin. Dessau Elem. Pflugerville, TX
"I
thought your show was outstanding. It was very much
family oriented and appropriately
geared towards our young audience. You were easily able to
command the attention of the
audience through positive sing-alongs and group participation.
Excellent HopStop!"
-Erica Ligeski, Arts Educa. Coordinator, Hopkins Center for
the Arts, Dartmouth College, NH
"The students
enjoyed the interactive program presented for
Children's
Literacy Week. Thank you so much for involving
them in your music.
The songs were easy to
learn, active, repetitive enough for our
First Grade,
and engaging enough for our Second Graders. Thank
you so much for involving a
few of us [the teachers], too." –Sharie
Stelzel, Tchr, Sivells Elementary, Wharton, TX
And from
another staff member at Sivells:
"Your program was great. I like a new person coming
in and encouraging reading.
I'm the music teacher here and I appreciated your use of
instruments and your
explanations about them." - Pat Herring
"Kids loved you at all three schools, as did all
the grownups I've talked to also.
More soon! Thanks again. " - Deb
Morris, Music teacher, Cannon Beach Elem, Oregon
"Another
wonderful four days with you. You do amazing things with
children -
thankyou SO MUCH for everything!” -
Lynda Tallarico, Head Teacher, N. Walpole (NH) Elem
And from another staff member at N. Walpole Elem:
"Thank you for bringing 'sunshine' to all of our staff and
students and
the community." - J.Bellows
"There
was a lot of excitement involved with the kids being able to
make their own
instruments in music class. The best part was the experience did not end there.
Many parents have come up to me since to say how much fun
their kids are
still having playing their instruments at home." -
Nicole McDaniel, Music teacher, St. Andrew’s Elem, Austin,
TX
"Thank you again for such a fun time at our school. The kids
are still buzzing
about their instruments that they made, and Mr. Flagg [the
principal] really
enjoyed his instruments too. He is actually quite good
at them!"
-Karen Meredith, Boscawen Elementary,
NH
And from another staff member at Boscawen Elem:
"Excellent
assembly! Great with kids. Enjoyed by all!" - Betty N.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS
"You
are full of so many wonderful ideas and have so much to
offer. And you do what
you do with such enthusiasm and do it so well!" - Marilyn Coffin, past-pres. NH Art
Educator’s Assoc, Spring Workshop
"Once
again your workshop was the hit of the Teachers’ Program.....
You combine elements the way teachers must in classroom
settings.....
(T)he process you set up encourages creativity.....[and] variety of skills and
information .... Those of us responsible for the
design of the Teachers’ Professional
Development Program have special appreciation for the
workshops you provide......
(T)hankyou for your continuing service to the community"
- Stuart Vexler, PhD., Chairman, Board of Directors,
TX Folk Music Foundation/Kerrville Folk Festival
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LIBRARIES & CHILDREN'S MUSEUMS
"(Purly) performed recently at the Childrens
Museum of Northern Nevada.
It was a pleasure to have her. Our customers range in
age from newborn to 5 yrs old.
I was so impressed with the way Purly adjusted
her performance to accommodate
her audience. She varied her activities from group
participation to movement and song.
During her performance, families came and others left.
She managed this transition with
great ease and never missed a beat. I would highly
recommend her! Thank you Purly for
joining us
in our True Grit celebration (to which she also
fashioned a song!). Happy Trails!"
~ Executive Director, Beth Ellis, the Children's Museum of
Northern Nevada
"Purly Gates is
a children’s singer/songwriter of great caliber.....a
down-to-earth
folk musician, with fun yet intelligent words.... She
also plays (other folk and) really
cool hand-made instruments that sparked the interest in
children as well as the
adults.....she interacted with the audience and made them feel
part of the show....."
-Lisa Ortega, Education Specialist, the Children’s
Museum of Memphis, TN
“Her sparkling sense of fun and humor
comes through... engaging and witty songs...
very genuine, highly entertaining... she even captivated
the adults in the group too.”
- Peggy Horowitz, Austin (TX) Children’s Museum
"Purly,
we are so glad you came! You
are definitely the best entertainer who's
come to our school in a very long time!" -Melanie
Bowen, Librarian, Carl Schurz Elem, New Braunfels, TX
"I have gotten rave
reviews! Everyone loved your show!"
~ Cheryl Schramm, Librarian, West Library,
Industry, TX
“You were
wonderful! I love the way you mix old folksongs and
original tunes.
The different instruments you play and the little bits of
history you throw in to your act
make it unique. We all loved the dancing stick man and the word
game that went with
him this year. I like acts that entertain and educate, and you
fit the bill beautifully.
Thanks once again for a fantastic performance!”-Jane
Sheaffer, Children’s Entertainment, TX Book Fest
“Thank you
so much for presenting such a terrific program! Your performance was
really impressive and tremendously entertaining!
I have heard nothing but positive
comments from children and adults who attended. You
are truly a seasoned, skilled
performer, and your strong stage presence was captivating.
I cannot tell you how
pleased I was with your program and the audience's reaction
to it. I will be certain to give your
talents a hearty recommendation to other librarians and
teachers!” - Ellysa Cahoy,
Librarian Laconia, NH
"Thanks so much for your talent, patience, and
fairness in dealing with us and
presenting such quality programs for the children
of Austin! I look forward to
working with you again.”- Anita Joye
Rizley/Youth Program Coordinator / Austin, TX Public
Library
"Great for all ages!" -a parent, Kihei Library, Maui, Hawaii
And
from other parents at Wailuku Library, Maui:
"This was good wholesome entertainment.
.........."
"Really enjoyed the music, songs, and
stories, my children loved Purly".
"Liked the history".
"Excellent incorporation of various
instruments, song, and storytelling".
"The program was AWESOME. My kids love
singing along with Purly. We hope
to see more programs like this in the near future".
"Great for our three year old. He
loved it".
"It was so good I could sit much longer
and listen to Purly.... a very pleasant program".
CAMPS, ENVIRONMENTAL & REC CENTERS, TOWN CONCERTS, etc.
“Purly Gates is a
musician, storyteller, community builder, educator, peace
maker and
environmental advocate all in one. Purly captured the
attention of all campers through
her fun & educational approach to instrument making. Her
engaging style electrified campers
and parents alike during Family Night.” -Susan Fortier,
Camp Director, YMCA, Bellows Falls, VT
“....the moment
she started her show, our kids were in AWE...they loved the
concert
and they loved Purly!!! She’s talented, energetic and full of
surprises!"
-Jody Wyffels, Programs Director, YMCA of Austin, TX
"Our naturalist said you were
a big hit and did a really great job. He especially loved how
you got the audience involved. If you are planning an
Oregon tour again next summer do
let us know!" -Elisabeth Neely, Portland (Oregon)
Metro Parks & Green Spaces/Oxbow Park
“Purly is such a pro
- a great entertainer and
musician. She really knows how to entertain
a crowd. Catchy tunes, fun lyrics, and a twinkle in her eye.
She's got comfort food for your ears!
Our concert on the common had children dancing, adults singing
along, and smiles all around.”
- Mary Lou O’Neil, Entertainment committee, Hancock, NH
Summer Concert Series
"People thoroughly enjoyed Purly's easy style and
creative participatory music
program. Her nature
themes were a perfect fit for our environmental center:
a love of trees, clean water, diversity and wildlife. We can't wait to have her back
next year." - Celeste Philbrick Bar, Education Director, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, N.H.
“High energy
performance...It was such fun and perfect for the
folks.”
- Penny Gill, NE Center for Outdoor Education
“Her songs are
fun, interactive and relevant.” - 8th Annual
Children and The Arts Festival, Peterborough, NH
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Back to
Purly Gates' Home Page
Contact/Booking
Information
"I would teach
children music, physics and philosophy; but most importantly
music, for the
patterns of music and all the arts are the keys of learning"
- Plato
STUDENT COMMENTS AND ART WORK