Singer Patricia Shih Wows Kids at Bar Harbour

If you have kids, and don’t yet know who Patricia Shih is, you’re going to want to find out.

The singer/songwriter is both musician and teacher with a gift for mesmerizing children while imparting some of life’s most important lessons. With guitar in hand, she played to a roomful of kids – from tots to pre-teens – at Brecently and within moments had their undivided attention.

Her songs engaged the kids while speaking to the virtues of kindness, empathy and the art of listening to each other.

From her very first song, “I Want to Walk a Mile in Your Shoes,” Shih engaged the kids and their participation. Her repertoire – which included rhyming, lessons in sign language, teaching the word thank you in multiple languages,  carried a common theme – promoting good will and respect for others. 

Although Shih is a local and now resides in Huntington, she has earned national acclaim and awards for her inspiring work. She penned her first song when she was 12, signed a recording deal with Unicorn Records at 15, and went on to television, radio and concert performances.

She landed her own PBS special, Patty Shih – Music from the Gallery in California before returning to the East coast and making her home in Huntington.

Although two of her six albums are geared to adults, “Woman With One Closed Eye” and “Leap of Faith”, Shih is renowned for the musical gifts she gives to kids. She has released four family/children’s albums - “Your ImaginEngine!”, “The Power of One”, “Big Ideas!” and “Making Fun!” that have not gone unnoticed.

Creative Child Magazine honored her with its Seal of Excellence Award last year for her latest CD, “Your ImaginEngine!” and has also honored her entire body of work in family CDs. Shih’s work has also earned the American Library Association Notable Children’s Recording Award, Parents Choice Award, Parents’ Prize, and NAAPA Gold Medal. 

Shih will be performing at numerous Long Island libraries this summer and will stage a multi-media presentation of her songs at The Planetarium at the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport on July 10th. For complete schedule information, check out her website at www.patriciashih.com.