Folk Icon Peter Yarrow Brings Children's Concert to HPAC Feb. 26

Legendary musician, songwriter and children’s author Peter Yarrow is perhaps best known for his career as part of the beloved folk music trio Peter, Paul & Mary; yet he is also a spirited activist who has committed his time and musical talents to support many worthy causes from civil rights, gender equality and environmental issues to educating children about treating each other with kindness and respect.

This Grammy Award-winning artist brings a family-oriented concert to the Hylton Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012 at 2 p.m. as part of the Hylton Family Series.

This fun and interactive performance combines folk favorites with inspiring lessons for children of all ages. Yarrow performs heartwarming renditions of iconic folk songs that we all know and love, such as “If I Had a Hammer,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Leaving on a Jet Plane” and “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” as well as Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin’s anti-bullying anthem, “Don’t Laugh at Me.”

Yarrow’s creativity as both member of Peter, Paul & Mary, and as a solo artist, often projects his desire to promote humanity and caring. With Peter, Paul & Mary, he performed at the 1963 Civil Rights March led by Martin Luther King Jr., in Washington, D.C., and coordinated and participated in many events as part of the anti-Vietnam War movement. For the past five decades, he has used his skills as a musician and organizer to focus attention on issues of the environment, peace, homelessness, health care, hospice care, education, civil rights and gender equality.           

In 1999, Yarrow founded Operation Respect, a non-profit organization that encourages a respectful, sensitive and safe climate of learning and works to reduce violence, emotional and physical cruelty and bullying among children. Inspired by the song “Don’t Laugh at Me,” Operation Respect created Don’t Laugh at Me (DLAM) programs for grades 2-5, grades 6-8, and summer camps and afterschool programs, which employ music and video to accompany conflict resolution curricula developed by the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program of Educators for Social Responsibility. With the help of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Operation Respect has disseminated more than 150,000 copies of the DLAM program to educators and school counselors across the United States and has reached nearly 1/3 of all elementary and middle schools in the United States.

As a musician, Yarrow has released more than 60 recordings and earned multiple gold and platinum albums, both as a solo artist and with Peter, Paul & Mary. In addition, he has written several children’s books and produced several animated children’s specials based on “Puff, the Magic Dragon.” 

This performance is part of the Hylton Family Series at the Hylton Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children. To purchase tickets, please call 888-945-2468 or visit hyltoncenter.org or visit the Hylton Center box office, open Wednesday through Saturday, 12 p.m. through 6 p.m. and right before the performance.