Embassy of the United States

2009 Programs and Events

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Johnette Downing [left] gives performances to Emirati children at the American corner

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Johnette Downing [left] gives performances to Emirati children at the American corner

American Singer and Writer Johnette Downing tours UAE

Singer-songwriter Johnette Downing visited the UAE from March 12-19, 2009.  Ms. Downing gave performances designed for children in the American Corners at the Higher Colleges of Technology, Fujairah Women’s College and the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain.  She also offered workshops for Bachelor of Education students and professors from these institutions as well as the Higher Colleges of Technology, Al Ain Women’s College and at the annual TESOL Arabia Conference in Dubai.  Ms. Downing delighted over 120 Emirati children during her performances at the Amercian corners in Fujairah and Al Ain.  Bringing the lively flavor of her home state of Louisiana through songs and chants, she shared New Orleans’ “gumbo” of Cajun, Creole, Zydeco and jazz with these young audiences.  Her visit to the UAE was organized by the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
 
In her teachers’ workshops, Ms. Downing used songs, rhythms, scarves, games, musical instruments and cooperative learning to help educators and education students discover ways to make language learning interactive and fun.  Workshop participants commented that not only were Johnette’s ideas immediately useful in their classrooms, but that her use of Louisiana culture inspired them to use Emirati rhythms and rhymes, too.  In total, over 250 educators and Bachelor of Education students participated in her workshops.  
 
Johnette Downing has won eighteen national awards for her recordings and books from Parents’ Choice Foundation Awards, Parents’ Guide to Children’s Media Awards, National Parenting Publications Awards,  iParenting Media Award Family Choice Awards and Family Review Center Awards. Johnette’s artistry has received rave reviews in top parenting and media outlets such as Nick, Jr., Disney’s Family Fun Magazine, Parenting Magazine, Parents Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Bay Area Parent, Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal and more.
 
Johnette’s family-friendly music respects the sophistication and intelligence of today’s children while still allowing them to be kids. Says Johnette, “I always tell people ‘I am seven,’ because I feel I see life with seven-year-old eyes. I learn from children every day. There is no better sound to me than the sound of children laughing and singing.”