CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Jon Gailmor of Elmore, VT. Jon has been writing and performing music internationally since 1971. He finds inspiration in family, pets, fighting for equal treatment of all people, sports, Vermont, beautiful places, and current events.

Watch a clip of Jon’s presentation from CLiF’s Virtual Author’s Series here.

Things to think about:

• Do you write of the music or the words to a song first?
• You have performed in a tennis stadium in Lima, Peru, in theaters in Russia, Latvia and Ecuador, in schools, colleges, child care and senior centers around the United States, in clubs, coffeehouses and prisons. Which is your most memorable? 
• What does the idea that “it’s better to be loud and wrong than silent and correct” (from Jon’s 9th grade hours director) mean to aspiring writers and musicians?
• How is writing songs similar and different to writing poems or stories?

Here are a few ways to get to know Jon’s work better:

• Virtual concert on April 2, 2020 recorded
• Listen to the song Jon Gailmor wrote with teachers, librarians, principals who attended the 2019 CLiF Community Literacy Conference
• Sample Jon’s original songs and music
• Watch Jon on PBS in 1983
• See Jon perform What We Have Found on WCAX about COVID -19

CLiF has created literacy activities for students of all ages here. Here are some that would go nicely with Jon’s work:

For younger kids:

• Musical Books – play the game with attention to certain words too
• Grab a Word – try using interesting words as inspiration for a song

For older kids:

• Rock ‘n’ Read – sing your favorite song while rocking
• Change the Story – find song lyrics and change them to fit a different theme

For families:

• Found Object Poem – set your poem to a song you know
• Photography, Writing, Community – find inspiration around you, even if you dream of writing a song or poem!