What Parents Say...

“.....Daniel and I were guided to you. You are special folk. You're doing a beautiful job inspiring children to find a little music for their souls. We are seeing some difficult times in our world and community, but with music and beautiful people like you, the world seems more joyful. Thank you Ali and Warren. Love, Ninette”

“Hi Ali - We love you! You are so good at what you do and it is inspiring to see a person in life who has followed her passion and shares it so brilliantly with others. Can't wait for the next session.”

“Dear Ali and Warren, I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the last 2.5 years of Mini Music! As I put Sarah in the car the other day after our last class I felt a little (a lot) sad about finishing our last session. I hope you don't mind if I gush a little about our experience with you. I started with Sarah when she was 9 months old and since then your class has brought so much joy to our lives. Your class was the highlight of our week because I felt like I saw the best side of my daughter come out in your class. She was joyful and free and incredibly engaged. You changed my whole outlook about music and set us on the road to being a musical family. I have no musical background and had a miserable time in music class in school. I usually lip sync "happy birthday" if that gives you an idea of how bad it is (was). I truly haven't ever enjoyed music other than occasionally listening to country or pop songs in the car. We never have been one of those families that has music on at home and before your class the only songs I sang to Sarah were the itsy -bitsy spider, twinkle-twinkle, and row row row your boat . . . you get the idea. It was a musical void around here. But as the mother of two little girls I am trying not to pass on my insecurities and the first one to tackle was my misgivings about music. It took all of my motherly love to sign up Sarah for her first season almost 3 years ago in your highly participatory music class! I remember after about a year of classes I was feeling like. . . okay I did it, it was fun and I've done my duty of exposing Sarah to music . . . and that's enough until we start piano lessons in a few years. But then I got sick for a couple of months and Scott and Sarah's grandparents brought her to class. I missed all but the very last class of that season. When I came back to class with Sarah I saw such an explosion of her language, movement, joy and participation. It really opened my eyes to how valuable your class was and how much she loved it. There was no way I could stop coming! We signed up the first day of sign ups ever since. She loved your class so much that her joy was completely contagious to me. Music is now the most joyful way we communicate and play together. Your songs and the shared experience in class, have become a great bond in our family. Your music is a major part of our bedtime routines, the games we play, kept our sanity in traffic and long road trips and now Sarah plays "mini music class" with Lauren and all of her baby dolls. She puts them all in a circle and sings the morning song and the good bye song. She asks for a mini music song every night. We even use it for parenting through bad behavior. Sarah has gone through a bit of a sassy phase and I am starting to hear language like "you can't play" "I'm going to tell on you" etc so we have been singing "The Kinder You Are The Sweeter Life Goes" as our theme song and it completely shifted her demeanor. I truly can't imagine our family life with out the influence of your class. I wish I had better language to communicate how grateful I am for your class, for changing my relationship with music, and for giving Sarah such a rich and joyful start. I am so excited for Lauren's turn! I have a feeling that the commute is probably getting harder and harder with two little ones but if you continue to make the trek to Corte Madera we will keep trying to get into your class. Hope to see you then! Best wishes and many many thanks, Abby”

“Hi Ali . . . I've been meaning to send this note for a while. I wanted to say thank you very much for such a wonderful class. Jude and I had a great time. We listen to the music almost every day and Jude loves to sing a few of the songs. I even catch him along singing "trot ol joe". . . ridiculously cute!”

“I've been meaning to write to tell you how much you and Warren have impacted our lives. Lily started MiniMusic as a baby and we loved our Monday morning classes for years until she started preschool this fall. Can you guess what her teacher's first observations of her were? They commented on her love of music and her enthusiasm during music activities at school. We owe this to you guys! It has been an incredible journey watching our child grow and learn. She listens so carefully to lyrics in songs, she can identify instruments, she understands the emotion of songs even when the lyrics express mature themes such as love and loss... As a first time mother, MiniMusic was my Monday morning tradition that let me relax and know that she and I could experience the class in whatever way seemed right on any given day. You are different from any other parent participation class out there with regard to a truly child centered program. I always have appreciated that there are no expectations for how the children experience their time in class. Its freedom for them and for us as parents. So, from babyhood to celebrating with us for Lily's 3rd birthday party, please know that you will always hold a special place in our hearts as teachers who taught us more than just music.”

“She LOVES music class and the songs sooo much. Literally we play every cd that we own and our whole family knows the exact sequence of songs on each album. Also have the songs on my phone for car rides. I really truly believe Paige has learned so much language in the past 6 months from your music. She now sings along and dances. Even sings the songs without the music at this point! ... And she definitely has a thing for Warren! So cute! ”

“Love love love the class. So glad we found you. Megan is great!”

“We are so grateful to you guys. What a beautiful gift you offer to families, and what a healing, accepting space to nurture our kiddos' souls, and the kiddos inside each of us (often in need of a little healing, too). The encouragement to release inhibitions and just sing out offers such a healing to all of us. I can tell Maya to sing out but if I don't do it too, she will still absorb that silencing message. You truly help us all to be better parents, and I could not ask for a greater gift. Maya LOVES you guys so much and LOVES the music with all her heart and so many songs have become such meaningful parts of our lives (we sing Three Little birds together when she's feeling upset, and she often now sings it on her own to soothe herself, we still sing What Love Can Do every night before bed, and Peace Like a River so often while sitting together outside...SO many, I could go on and on, have been folded into the meaningful fabric of our lives). She has such LOVE for singing, dancing, and playing instruments with all her heart, and makes up songs (and asks us to make up songs too) to express her feelings. She has one she calls her "sharing song" and one about missing her daddy when he's at work. Her first was called, "strings are beautiful" that she plays while strumming her guitar ("just like Warren" :) ). I am just so in love with the fact that she already feels the incredible healing power of music. We will of course try to find another music class in Ann Arbor (it's one of her favorite things in the world), but we will truly miss Mini Music so much <3. It has such a special place in our hearts. Thank you for enriching our lives with such a beautiful space, and reminding me how much I love to sing (without worrying about not being "good" at it). I now feel like I can pass that down to her with my whole heart.”

“Ali - Class today was really nice. Elsa was captivated by all the sound and rhythm. I found it more moving than I anticipated, to be singing and making music with my young daughter - I felt like a mother in a new way. Thanks for making that happen.”

“Hi Ali.....just wanted to let you know how much Jace and I enjoyed our first class! You're AMAZING! You have beautiful energy, a beautiful, passionate presence; the music was great, and you transitioned so well from one song to the next. You also knew all of our names!!!!! I'm looking forward to our next 9 classes. Thanks so much for being so well-organized and prompt in responding to my questions as well!!”

“Dear Ali, Thank you for a fun summer session!It is so gratifying to see Kern happily (and loudly!) singing most of the songs from the session. And Shay's favorite is "Oh, My!" Her voice sounds so sweet.I thought you would appreciate that Kern is currently jingle jamming to Led Zeppelin and Shay very sweetly just asked my husband, "Ali?" :) So you're up next! ”

“....The girls don't know the names of the songs but they've already memorized the #s, so we hear, "Can you play #2? 8? 11?, etc." It's pure joy to hear the two of them singing along in the backseat...... What I also love is that your versions of the songs are all grown-up friendly....other kids' music is more "pastel" (for lack of a better description). Your renditions are far more interesting and have more depth.”

“I have truly enjoyed your music classes since last summer, and I am constantly amazed and impressed by your talent, your energy and your creativity. You always keep the classes fun. Finley has been captivated by your singing, your guitar, and the classes in general. (He is usually a somewhat shy guy). We listen to your 3 CDs all the time, and now that he's almost 17 months, I see him recognize each song on the Icicles CD. He uses gestures for certain songs, and started stomping his feet too. (My husband comes from a very musical family and his father was a conductor in NYC, though I sadly have no musical ability, but you've given me the gumption to sing to Finley and we have music on all the time. There is hope for him yet!) You also run an organized business, which is impressive. As a freelance photographer, I have a sense myself on what goes on behind the scenes in another type creative world, and there is so much work! Thank you, thank you for everything, and I look forward to our next 4 classes.”

“You are a super star! My husband, brother and mom all were psyched with new CD! Of course Henry and I listen to it 24/7 and can't get enough! Both you and Warren have the most magical voices in the world. True gifts that enter into our homes, cars, lives, and hearts! So talented it is amazing.”

“..... I also wanted to take the time to thank you again for the wonderful CD. Both of my sons cannot get enough of it! This is by far the best music class I have ever been in. I actually love it just as much as Brady. You and Warren have beautiful energy and warmth. I love music and singing........ and this class is so much fun......So thank you for this awesome experience!”

“Ali.....That was likely the sweetest hour I have had with my 2 boys ever!! I mean BOTH cuddled up to me, wow! It was nice to see Daniel so into it. These big boys can be unpredictable. To this day he still copies tones he hears just like he did as a little guy in your class!”

“I also really wanted to let you know how much Lilea enjoys the music from your class. Sometimes when she is upset in the car, or during diaper changes, just hearing the music makes her stop and relax. It is like magic! I put in on in the car and she goes from screaming to silent and babbling. It is absolutely wonderful! Just last week she started clapping her hands every time I sang the "clap your hands" song, it was incredible to see how she knows the song without me even clapping myself! I don't know what we'd do without your class! You're so wonderful!”

“...amazing to see Jenner doing the bah bah bahs now at home as well as counting along numbers to songs and so much more......Several fun observations from last week: Liked the inner and outer circles of Wings and how fun when the children begin to model for the adults-- Ava jumping in and setting the beat for all us shy parents!........

.....Each day it continues to be a joy to watch my son not just sing and dance, be eager to watch and learn, but to also see him so actively and comfortably jumping in, to see him so excited about rhythm and words and movement, to see him so engaged in what you and I are all about-- for him to throw caution to the wind and try!”

“...Aren LOVES going to music shows. He came up to us the other night (with a fresh shirt in hand!) and kept saying "music! music!" We finally figured out he wanted to go hear music. So we walked down to HopMonk and enjoyed some jazz in the beer garden. He picked a table right next to the band, and he danced and snapped away. Since then, he has asked to go to hopmonk everyday. Too funny. Thanks to you for making music such a big love in his life!!”

“I wanted to share this picture and story with you. Yesterday was Owen's 4th birthday and what he wanted more than anything else was a strap for his guitar "like Warren" and hangers to put the guitar on the wall "like Warren". We decided it was also time for him to get a bigger guitar to go with the strap and wall mounts. Now little sister gets his old guitar and everyone is happy and can sing all the mini music songs they want (lots of mini music concerts in our household). Owen has developed a huge love for music and instruments and I know 100% that your class had a lot to do with that. The kids are excited to get back to class next month! See you guys then.”

“As an educator, I have seen wonderful artists try to work with small children but fail because they lack the patience and understanding of how to engage children, encourage them to participate, and enjoy the medium they are working in. Ali is truly gifted in this way. She has a beautiful voice and understanding of music, and she also really gets kids. When she shows up at your party and most of the children there have never met her, she has this enthusiastic way of enabling them to get into music by singing, movement, rhythms, instruments or dancing so that they are completely immersed and having a blast.

We had Ali as the entertainment for my 3 year old son's birthday party at Boyle Park. It was like a scene from the Hair musical with little children singing and dancing with ribbons and instruments in lines around the field. We knew we had to have her again at my 2 year old's party at the Strawberry Rec Center. It was a rainy day but just as amazing. Not only were all the children completely into it, but the parents were also totally involved. Ali mixed popular children's songs with many others related to our "train themed" gathering. Always on time, always smiling, and always singing, we were really happy to be able to celebrate these occasions with music being a central part of the day. I highly recommend her.”

“Thanks again for letting Liam come today. Even though he was quiet (he is definitely the more "observant/internal" one than our "outspoken/external" Rowan:) he told me he had such a good time. He knew every word to the songs! When I asked him what his favorite part was, he said it was when when he hugged you at the end :) Looks like we may be signing up for two kids next session!”

“Hi Ali .... just wanted to say hi to you from Cincinnati. It was a year ago we took our first mini music with you in San Rafael (Leaves). We are so enjoying listening to all the songs from that CD with the turning of the seasons here. His all time favorite a year later is Oats and Beans and Barley Grow. Sings it all day. It's so fun to see him dance and sing now when a year ago he would just nurse when he heard the music and wanted to cuddle. We miss you! ....... Just wanted to say hi and let you know you are very much a part of our daily lives!”

“When it came time to plan for Elise's 2nd birthday party Ali was the perfect fit! She did a fantastic job leading 12 toddlers and their parents through song and dance! Her strong and beautiful voice, great energy and fun attitude allow her to captivate a room full of adults and kids of all ages. Elise had a fabulous time at her party, and many parents commented afterward on how amazing Ali's voice is! Thanks to Ali our family has taken a real interest in music. Nothing makes me smile more than when I hear Elise sing her favorite songs, and break out into her dance moves! Thank you Ali!”

“First of all, your new CD is awesome! Great job. Seriously. The kids are crazy for it. I have already had to download it to the ipod so we can listen in house and car. Secondly, Cormac was both surprised and thrilled to hear his name on one of your songs. The one where the axle is broken on the wagon. You're a rock star!! Thank you for making it so fun for the kids.”

“....we are looking forward to seeing how Riley grows with the next class. Just this weekend she started SINGING. I love watching her find her way in the world of music...........for the past few weeks Riley kept saying "mom go away, dad go away, don't you cry baby". One day it hit me!!! She has been singing the lullaby from class. I put it on and asked her is this what you are singing and she smiled and said "my song"! Love it!”

“Ali, You're a true music treasure. I've so enjoyed giving my granddaughters the opportunity of going to "Ali's house"....... Ali is phenomenal - both with music and children! I just wish I had more grandchildren to enjoy "letting the music in" with Ali.”

“Dear Ali....I just wanted to thank you for your flexibility and understanding when we thought we might have to reschedule. I'm very glad it worked out and our party was successful. The kids loved the class and Maya asked afterwards when the singing lady is coming back :)”

“i can't tell you how much evan and i love your music classes. he knows every song, all the words from all the cd's we have so far, makes instruments out of everything at my house and at his. you do an excellent combination of rhythms, sounds, counting, movement and interactive props. it is a perfect balance of fun and learning for toddlers , yet making it interesting for the adults as well. i loved the key and timing changes ( 3/4, 4/4) you did today, anyway, i just wanted to tell you all the work you have done is really wonderful and you offer so much in a short class time.”

“Thank you for another amazing Mini Music session! Giovanni has become quite the dancer at home and I think it has lots to do with music class. I'm surprised he doesn't dance more in class.....We really enjoy driving into town and doing this class together and I'm so thankful you have a 4:00 class. Working full time I feel like I miss out on lots of cool opportunities to for us to do together but from what I've heard and seen, mini music is the best class around! Thank you.”

“Ali made my son's second birthday party a huge hit. Her energy and enthusiasm were wonderful-- both children and parents really enjoyed her!”

“Lacy absolutely loves your class!”

“I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you again for all that you gave my children while we were enrolled in Mini Music. It was a very special experience for our family, especially Joseph and I am so grateful for having had your musical presence in our lives. I often think that without you, there would be this whole piece of my child that would not be as developed or discovered. I am so grateful for you.”

“Carson and I started class in the summer and look forward to it weekly!! This class had brought so many fun and new songs that we sing all day and even change the words to the rhythm!! Imagine that, a 21 month old keeping a rhythm and using new lyrics! He had always been a talker but I know this class has enriched him even more.”

“When you've booked Ali for your birthday party, that's all the entertainment you need. She'll keep the kids happy and engaged for a good 45 minutes.At my son's 2nd birthday party, there was plenty of food and distractions around, but everyone was focused on Ali and her music. We definitely recommend her!”

“Tyler just lights up when I tell him we're going to music class; he even finally worked up the nerve to hug Warren at the end of class last week. The impact Mini Music has had on Hailey and now Tyler's lives still amazes me every day. These children sing and dance together constantly (bath time is quite a concert), and both seem to have an ear for and an appreciation of music well beyond their years, not to mention how it's helped bring my formerly shy Hailey out of her shell. I have no doubt these two will both be learning how to play instruments and maybe even be singing in school choirs some day. It's been beautiful watching my children bond through music, and I've cherished this time I've had with them; I can't thank you enough.”

“...Thank you so much for entertaining our friends & family today! Everyone loved the music theme--especially Keira! We love the CDs that you made for the kids...very special! You made our party a huge success. Thank you soooo much!!!!!!”

“Dear Ali.....Thank you so much for making Adina and Jonah's 2nd birthday party such a huge hit. Your level of enthusiasm, fun, and energy truly rose above all the craziness that comes when you bring a bunch of 2-year-olds together. I still don't know how you got everyone to sit in a circle and participate - wow. I don't know who had more fun, the parents or the kids! One of my friends commented that she had taken a music class in the past, but that it couldn't compare with you as a music teacher -- she was blown away by your energy and fun spirit. Now, months later, I still have people telling me how special our party was, and how much fun they had. I think it is rare to find someone with such a perfect mixture of professionalism, pure talent, and the ability to go with the flow and allow everyone to have fun. You are the exception to the rule, and I will continue to recommend you to all of my friends. I can't wait until the next birthday party!”

“Hi Ali...just wanted to drop a note and thank you for the great job you did at Nika's party. Everyone had such a great time and people are still talking about it. I know it was challenging to handle all those kids but you did an amazing job keeping all of them entertained and they all had a great time and parents enjoyed it too. Thanks again for making her bday party such a memorable one. Hope to see yo again soon...”

“Thank you so much for making Micah's party such a blast! Even the adults had a great time. It's been 6 months since you were here and Micah still talks about his party with Ali. He pretends to be you, makes us all sit in a circle and conducts sing along sessions using (the) rhythm sticks (you left here). Oh, and he is already counting on you to be at our house when he turns 4.”

“Ali provided music entertainment for my sons 4th bday party. He requested Ali by name. Ali has a tremendous amount of energy and the kids love to follow her while singing and dancing. 6 months later Charlie is stilling asking about Ali.”

“.....Again, thanks for doing the party with your usual huge talent and enthusiasm. You'll be happy to know that I got a lot of very positive feedback on you from the parents.”

“I have to say that the party was GREAT!! All the moms were impressed and excited that you were there..... Brady really loved having you there and Carly was in awe.....Thank you for a beautiful successful party. You are Fabulous.”

“Thanks to Mini Music, we discovered that Nate has a true love of music that continues to grow. He will often sing, "good morning to the sunshine..., good morning to Ali and Warren...." while strumming his guitar. He loves his Mini Music CDs so much that he calls them "my CD" and has told his teachers at school about them. We have even found the CD covers in his bed as they are prized possessions. Nate's love of music is so great that, inspired by Nate, his teachers organized a month long music lesson for his classroom. I have no doubt that Nate will now have a life long love of music and I can't thank Mini Music enough for nurturing his interest.”

“Lorenza is still talking about how much fun her party was! Thank you so much for putting on such a fun and enthusiastic show for our little bunch! It was great to see the adults had as much fun as the kids did.”

“I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you again for all that you gave my children while we were enrolled in Mini Music. It was a very special experience for our family, especially Joseph and I am so grateful for having had your musical presence in our lives. I often think that without you, there would be this whole piece of my child that would not be as developed or discovered. I am so grateful for you.”