St Joseph News Press Article

Oh, oh, oh — she’s magic

Eco-friendly musician Magic Mama to perform at St. Joseph libraries

If you were going to see a performance by someone called Magic Mama, you’d expect to see a woman pulling a rabbit out of her hat. Or at least a sweet card trick.

Kjersten Hallin (aka Magic Mama) gets that a lot. However, the 38-year-old Minneapolis native has always been more interested in introducing kids and their parents to what she considers real magic.

“I see magic as the art of changing consciousness at will,” Ms. Hallin says. “When you change the way you think, that’s magic.”

The self-proclaimed “eco-edu-tainer” will introduce library visitors to her brand of think-shifting magic — through family-friendly live performances of organic hip-hop and world beats — in St. Joseph next week. On July 20, Magic Mama will perform from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Downtown Library and from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Carnegie Library. On July 21, she will perform from 10 to 11 a.m. at the East Hills Library and from 2 to 3 p.m. at Washington Park Library.

Before donning Magic Mama’s signature cat tail and ears, Ms. Hallin studied art and environmental studies. She also performed in artsy bands and was at one point pursued as a pop diva by a studio producer. Ms. Hallin had other plans. Inspired by a “baby rap” she sang to her son while living in California, she decided to make a children’s music album.

“What I felt was that there’s not a lot of music that’s fun for kids and adults out there. I mean, there’s music that the kids just love, but it often annoys their parents,” Ms. Hallin laughs.

Beyond making music the whole family could enjoy, Ms. Hallin wanted to deliver an empowering message of love and respect for all of Earth’s organisms. She also wanted to inspire creative thinking and action. She feels every human is a steward for the Earth and that everyone should continually strive toward greater ecological sustainability.

“It’s not a trendy thing to care for our planet. It’s imperative,” Ms. Hallin says. “Things are going to change radically in our lifetime and the kids aren’t afraid of that way of thinking.”

While her songs tackle serious issues, Magic Mama’s fun personality shines through. For example, the song “Wacky Jacket Jenkins” tells of a plaid-coated man looking for cheese puffs while another inspires listeners to become “Peace Pirates” and ride bicycles to reduce the use of gasoline.

When performing live, Magic Mama uses a loop recorder and several instruments to replicate the sound of a group of musicians. Some of the instruments she uses are more unorthodox than others. Ms. Hallin mixes guitar and harmonium with the sounds of washboards, cheese puff bags, a canning jar filled with water from Lake Superior and even her own beatboxin’ mouth.

But Magic Mama doesn’t go it alone. She encourages kids to join in and crunch their own cheese puff bags. Sometimes, the parents get in on the fun, too.

“Most people are very receptive and respond really well, but it takes some of the grown-ups maybe a little longer to get into it,” Ms. Hallin says. “The kids give us adults an excuse to play and remember how to have fun.”

In the meantime, Ms. Hallin encourages kids to visit her website — www.magicmamamusic.com — where they can learn how to make do-it-yourself rainsticks that they can bring to her shows.

Magic Mama is just one of several performers who have put on free shows at St. Joseph public libraries this summer. As part of the Summer Reading Program, the libraries have played host to live animal shows, comedy shows, puppet shows, magic shows and a professional whipping demonstration.

“These are the ways that the library tries to get kids to read. If we can bring them in once with a great performer like Magic Mama or the whip guy, maybe we can get them to come back,” says Dee Zvolanek, children’s manager at the Downtown Library and coordinator of the Summer Reading Program.

All events are free and no registration is required. For more information on Magic Mama’s four library shows in St. Joseph, visit sjpl.lib.mo.us.

Lifestyles reporter Shea Conner can be reached at shea.conner@newspressnow.com.