ROCCO KEEPS THE BEAT! Music at the White House
Written by Rocco Smirne and Illustrated by John Hutton
Washington, D.C. —
Nine-year-old Rocco Smirne has spent almost half of his young life writing children’s books that introduce his peers to different aspects of White House history. A young White House enthusiast, his first children’s book, A White House Alphabet, was published in 2020 when he was just five years old. Since then, he’s published Rocco Travels with the Presidents (2021) and Rocco at the White House Easter Egg Roll (2023). On September 27, 2024, the White House Historical Association will release Rocco’s fourth children’s book (and the eighth in their popular children’s book series), ROCCO KEEPS THE BEAT! Music at the White House, with colorful and whimsical illustrations by artist and principal illustrator for the series, John Hutton.
From the Marine Band to opera to Rock and Roll, ROCCO KEEPS THE BEAT! Music at the White House introduces young readers to music that the presidents have enjoyed and shared with their guests for more than two hundred years. From the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps at a State Arrival Ceremony to the Marine Band during a Holiday Reception, Rocco also shares how the presidents use music to welcome guests to the White House. In the book, Rocco, who enjoys playing drums and the recorder, travels through time to share his love for keeping the beat with musically talented presidents and their families. Readers will learn that President Thomas Jefferson played the violon, President Harry S. Truman played the piano, and President John Quincy Adams played the wooden flute. Rocco also shares the musical interests of some of the first children including President Millard Fillmore’s daughter Mary Abigail who played the harp, piano, and guitar!
ROCCO KEEPS THE BEAT! Also features some of the many special musical performances that have taken place at the White House, from President Jimmy Carter’s Jazz Festival on the South Lawn and First Lady Nancy Reagan dancing to the Broadway musical “A Chorus Line” in 1988 to the 2012 Fiesta Latina concert during the Obama presidency and Jon Batiste’s performance for President Joe Biden and guests in 2022. Readers will also learn about musical traditions that started at the White House including playing “Hail to the Chief” when a president enters a room. This tradition was started with early presidents such as James A. Polk.
Vibrant, engaging, and fun ROCCO KEEPS THE BEAT! gives young readers a slice of White House music history while highlighting the power of music to connect people from all over the world.
About the author: Rocco Smirne attends elementary school in Fairfax County, Virginia. He enjoys attending festivals, parades, and activities in the Nation’s Capital. When not out exploring, Rocco enjoys reading, drawing, and video games. Rocco is co-author of A White House Alphabet and author of Rocco Travels with the Presidents!
About the illustrator: John Hutton is a professor of art history at Salem College, and the illustrator of a collection of children’s books published by the White House Historical Association. He lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
For more information, contact press@whha.org
P.D.F. Resources
Download the PDFAbout the White House Historical Association
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. She sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. In 1961, the nonprofit, nonpartisan White House Historical Association was established to support her vision to preserve and share the Executive Mansion’s legacy for generations to come. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association’s mission is to assist in the preservation of the state and public rooms, fund acquisitions for the White House permanent collection, and educate the public on the history of the White House. Since its founding, the Association has given more than $115 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission.
To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit WhiteHouseHistory.org.