An interview with Decorah author and music educator Regina Noel Downing

Decorah resident Regina Noel Downing knows first-hand that music can soothe the soul and bring a sense of calm. Downing is a wife, mother, and owner of the Regina Noel Music Studio, where she teaches piano, voice, and ukulele. With the debut of her book, Give a Little Snuggle, Downing is now also a published author.Downing says, "Give a Little Snuggle teaches children and adults alike, that though we may have blue times, rough times, and fearful times, there is always something we can do to ease our soul and connect with those we love. When your child is sad or upset, you may find connecting difficult. You may think your child wants to be left alone, but as a mother and educator, I can assure you what they really want and need, is connection, and this book helps you do just that -- connect when there is sadness, connect when it's been a bad day, connect when there is fear." What inspired you to write Give a Little Snuggle? Give a Little Snuggle was written as a song first. One night, when my 8 year old son was having a "moment," I just started singing. I don't even remember what his upset was over. I just remember feeling helpless, and wanting desperately to connect. And so, Give a Little Snuggle was born! Before too long, my son was singing the tune with me, laughing and loving. The next morning, both my kiddos were singing the tune while they were getting ready for school. After that, I started writing other songs to help with various emotions and events in our day to day lives. Fast forward to 2020 and the pandemic. I had to switch all my students in the studio to online lessons. I was worried how my "littles" would do without hands on manipulatives. An adult student and dear friend shared some song-story books with me, and a lightbulb went off. I thought, "Why am I not doing this with my songs!?" Song-story books turned out to be an excellent tool for online lessons, when littles needed a brain break, or simply to have fun with music. And Give a Little Snuggle, seemed like the perfect message for this particular time in our lives. It's all about the things we can do with our littles when they are feeling sad, fearful, or it's just been a rough day. It's even great for elderly people! The book includes sheet music in the back, and a teaching component for parents and caregivers in the front. Ultimately, the inspiration for Give a Little Snuggle, was a desire to connect with my son when connecting seemed impossible, but assuredly, most important. I figured if I struggled with it, most likely every parent/caregiver does as well. I have a real passion for children and families. Hopefully, Give a Little Snuggle will have a positive impact on families wherever it goes! How did you connect with the illustrator, Decorah resident Mathew Havran? On a whim, I reached out to Mathew Havran via FB messenger, and gave him my pitch to turn Give a Little Snuggle into a song-story book, with him as the illustrator. I'd been following his work around town, but hadn't officially connected with him, so it was kind of a risk! To my delight, he agreed. Do you have plans to publish more books together? Absolutely! My next book releases in November, just in time for Christmas, with Mathew Havran as the illustrator. There will be several more following that one. A children's book takes quite a lot to pull together. There are so many moving parts. So for now, one book at a time. I want to be sure the work we are putting out is quality, and work that will really make a difference for children and families alike. Give a Little Snuggle releases in May and is available now for pre-order at https://www.foxpointepublishing.com/shop-now/give-a-little-snuggle-softcover.