WESTFIELD — The Westfield Memorial Library, located at 550 East Broad Street, will kick off April with a virtual author event, a series of Tai Chi classes and a jazz trio.
On Tuesday, April 2, at 2 p.m., interested book lovers can virtually step into the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History with Curator Paula Johnson as she discusses the book “Smithsonian American Table: The Foods, People, and Innovations That Feed Us.”
American Table is a sweeping history of food and culture that summons everyone to the table for a fresh look at some of the people, ingredients, events and movements that have shaped how and what people eat.
Ms. Johnson, curator and project director of the American Food History Project, will discuss several stories featured in the volume, with an emphasis on those that intersect most directly with the Smithsonian’s research, collecting and programming around food history. To attend this event, people must register at https:/ /events.wmlnj.org/event/12249600.
On Fridays, April 5 and 12, at 3 p.m., popular Tai Chi instructor Dr. Gang Huang will return to teach Fundamentals of Tai Chi.An ancient practice that originated in China, Tai Chi is believed to boost both mental and physical health. Tai Chi is practiced as a means to promote balance and prevent falls, relieve depression, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and reverse disease progression in osteoarthritis. It also is advocated as helpful for insomnia, hypertension and fibromyalgia. Tai Chi often is referred to as “Meditation in Motion.” Dr. Huang will lead a hands-on session to work on Tai Chi fundamentals such as joint health, standing meditation, weight shifting and balance, and Tai Chi walking.
Dr. Huang is one of the formal disciples of Master Yang Jun, who is the direct descendent (sixth-generation) of Yang Cheng Fu and of Yang Lu Chan, the creator of Yang Style Tai Chi. To register, visit https:// events.wmlnj.org/event/ 12238497?hs=a.
April is Jazz Appreciation Month, and the library will celebrate with the Bradford Hayes Trio on Tuesday, April 9, at 7 p.m. Bradford Hayes, a native of Dinwiddie County, Va., has been a force on the jazz scene for many years. He has performed at multiple clubs, colleges and concert halls that include Birdland (New York City), L’Entrepot (Paris, France) and the Beacon Theater (New York City).
Mr. Hayes has performed in different musical settings with Jimmy Heath, Al Grey, Cecil Payne, Rufus Reid, Ray Bryant, Ted Curson, Charles Davis, Joe Lee Wilson and Donald Braden, plus many others.
His band also has shared the stage with the bands of Chico Freeman, Betty Carter, Joe Henderson, Max Roach, Marlena Shaw, Pieces of a Dream, and Hilton Ruiz, among others. Mr. Hayes recently performed a series of concerts in collaboration with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra as well as a performance with avant-garde pianist Steve “Adegoke” Colson at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
Mr. Hayes holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C. He also has studied privately with George Coleman and Charles Davis. Mr. Hayes’ latest recording is entitled “The Jazz Life.” To register, visit https:// events.wmlnj.org/event/12016438.
To register for these programs, sign up for a library card, or to learn more about the library’s resources, visit the library’s website at https://wmlnj.org/ . Library hours are Monday to Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
