ENCINITAS — After more than a year of playing children’s music in and around Encinitas, Kathryn Cloward recently signed on to become a regular act at the Encinitas Library.
Cloward, who has a following of tens of thousands of fans on social media, is a native to San Diego County and a longtime performer and songwriter. Her music focuses on positivity while also instilling mindfulness and kindness in young children, she said.
Cloward said her hope is to bring joy and a love of music to those who attend her performances at the Encinitas Library and surrounding areas.
“It has been really lovely to know that I’m having an impact on children and adults alike,” Cloward said. “That is my greatest hope.”
Additionally, she is a children’s book author, so guests who attend Cloward’s performance at the library can also expect stories. It’s something Cloward herself said she remembers as a child growing up. In fact, it’s some of her fondest memories.
“When I was a little girl, reading with my mom and singing with my grandma are some of my happiest memories,” Cloward said. “I want to provide positive feel-good stories and songs for multiple generations to bond. When parents tell me that their children talk about me when they’re not at my events, that makes me feel good because that means they feel good.”
Jayne Henn, branch manager at Encinitas Library, said she chose to bring Cloward into the facility regularly because of the impact she has made on library-goers.
“Kathryn the Grape brings positivity, peace, and mindfulness to children and grownups through music, story and song,” Henn said. “Our customers enjoy being part of a program with an ‘extended family’ feel. We wanted to regularly offer Kathryn’s special blend of musicality and mindfulness to toddlers, who are just learning to interact with others. We also appreciate Kathryn’s ability to teach caregivers how to develop mindfulness in children, and how to model mindfulness for the very young.”
Encinitas resident Kim Mazza is just one of the many parents who attends Cloward’s performances regularly with her young children.
Mazza, who has lived in the coastal city for eight years, said her children immediately connected to Cloward’s music and messages.
“David loves Kathryn the Grape,” Mazza said. “He instantly connected with her. Something about her energy just met his perfectly. David is a very high-energy child and doesn’t sit still for most performances. I love the message she sends to children and is a nice reminder for us as adults. We are so lucky to have access to her and her music.”
But, Cloward isn’t just limited to performing at the Encinitas Library. San Diegans can also catch her perform regularly at the Birch Aquarium.
She also has other plans for 2020, including re-hatching her album “Kathryn the Grape Let’s Sing Together” and releasing new books of her “Let’s Read Together” series. She also plans to translate her books to Spanish and Japanese to inspire other children and their families.
Cloward also hopes to perform at other libraries in San Diego County, she said.
“I want to be accessible to more children,” said Cloward, who is a mother herself. “I can reach children all over the world with my messages of love and joy through the power of visual media and that’s a major goal for me this year. My hope for everything I do is to help people feel good about themselves and each other.”
Guests can attend Kathryn the Grape’s Musical Storytime the second Thursday of each month from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. The Encinitas Library is located at 540 Cornish Drive in Encinitas.
For more information about Kathryn the Grape, go to kathrynthegrape.com.
