Beantown Pals, with Joanie Calem, Rhonda Paglia, and Ratna Kusuma Halim

Join Tom Hayes as he features the music of Joanie Calem and the writing and illustration talen of Rhonda Paglia and Ratna Kusuma Halim.

When she was 15, Joanie moved to Israel, and completed my high school degree at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem. I then continued my musical training in piano pedagogy, both in the conventional and the Suzuki systems, and early-childhood music and movement.  I studied for many years with Anne Barlin, who is considered one of the “mothers” of the dance therapy field and an experienced teacher of the Dalcroze system.  I maintained a private piano studio in my home for 15 years, as well as teaching pre-school and early elementary music and movement classes in a number of local schools in the area I lived in.

Three Little Gnomes and a Boy Name Orion is Rhonda Paglia's fourth children's book.  What began as an impromptu story project in 2009 for her grandson, Orion, has blossomed into a captivating 68 page story with over 40 beautiful illustrations and charming characters that kids will love.   Rhonda's illustrator for this book is Ratna Kusuma Halim from Indonesia.  "She has brought the gnomes to life and turned this little garden story into something magical," said Rhonda.
 
Rhonda is a retired elementary teacher and very busy grandmother from Hermitage, Pennsylvania.  She loves writing stories for her five grandchildren and now she's happy to share them with other kids.  Rhonda also loves spending time in her garden, but she's always looking over her shoulder because she knows there are secret things going on out there when she's not looking!