Do you remember? What was your first musical memory? Do you recall a particular song or moment in your childhood that cause music to come alive for you? Here’s mine: My mom sang the Itsy Bitsy Spider to me every day. With the actions. I loved it. My father sang to me as well, sometimes with his guitar, but he worked long hours, while my mom was home all the time. The thing is, my mother can’t sing. But she did it anyways. Her two-note songs enriched my childhood experience. I learned about meter and rhyme, I learned to pair words with actions. I felt connected to my mother and present in the moment, which helped me with emotional regulation. I inherited my father’s singing voice. As a child I sang freely and took piano lessons when I could. As an adult I took voice lessons, learned guitar, and became an early childhood educator, which guaranteed that I could sing almost all day long if I wanted to. And I did. That’s where I realized, and began to study, the power of music in enhancing a child’s brain development, motor development, language skills, and emotional regulation. I took early childhood music courses, and later in my career, co-developed a series of workshops that promoted singing and music in early childhood spaces. I believe that direct experiences provide optimal growth and development for young children. Hands-on. In-person. And while we have access to so much good (and not so good) recorded music and video, the best pathway to learning and development is still the live, human voice. If you sing, or if you don’t sing, this community is for you. If you have been told to mouth the words in choir, or if some armchair critic has trashed your singing voice, come on in. There are no judgements here. We will work together to build confidence, uncover song memories, figure out the lyrics to “papa day da” (happy birthday) or whichever song your toddler is insisting that you sing. (Shoutout to my two year old grandson). I appreciate your patience as I build this site - I have big plans and much to offer. In the meantime, what is your first musical memory? What are you hoping to learn or share in this community?