Bio
Jon Sundell is a bilingual, multicultural edu-tainer who has been has been performing folk songs and tales for over fifty years across the United States, Europe and Latin America. He has performed for children and adults of all ages and backgrounds, in Spanish as well as English. Accompanying himself on guitar, 5-string banjo, autoharp, mountain dulcimer and ukulele, he sings and leads a wide variety of traditional and contemporary children's (and adult) songs, interweaving them with multicultural folktales. His warm, personal style and varied repertoire, complemented by many interactive tools, easily engage and hold his audience as they travel through a shared adventure.
In addition to Jon's performance experience , he has garnered extensive educational background over 32 years working in public and school libraries. Drawing on those experiences he is able to gear programs to match the school curriculum and bring it to life. Where it is desired and appropriate, he can include booktalks, history and slides, and he can work with teachers and librarians to develop follow-up projects. Jon's broad array of experiences come together in his programs to create a "perfect storm of edu-tainment" for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
Jon communicates a deep respect for the cultures he represents, many of which he knows from first hand experience or in depth study. He has collected traditional tales and songs first hand from Appalachian tradition bearers. He often draws on his own family heritage as the grandson of Russian Jewish immigrants, whose stories he often compares to those of their Islamic neighbors. He has lived in France and traveled through Europe. He minored in Asian Studies and lived in Japan. He has traveled throughout Latin America and has worked intensively with local Hispanic populations for thirty years. All this background experience greatly enriches his performances and workshops and reinforces the spirit of multicultural understanding that Jon passionately promotes.
