Jam with Jamie founder Jamie Kolnick says music is more than entertainment for children; it's a tool for development, connection, and community.
Kolnick founded Jam with Jamie as a nationwide children's entertainment and education company, and she has watched families grow with the program over the years.
"I'd say one of my favorite parts of running Jam with Jamie is having families come to us. When they have a baby, they come into the class, they're like, I don't know, should I start class? Should I not? And I say, just start. It's a way for you to not just expose your child to music, but you're also making friends," Kolnick said.
She said the staying power of the program speaks for itself.
"My favorite part is when they're still jamming with us eight years later," Kolnick said.
Kolnick emphasized that exposing children to a wide range of music, from children's classics to pop and rock, from a young age has real benefits.
"For kids, exposing them to children's classics, pop, rock from a young age, it's just feel good. And it's a really easy thing to do with your kids, especially when they're babies. And you're like, what else am I going to do with them? And it opens their mind," Kolnick said.
She also highlighted the value of in-person, screen-free experiences for families.
For parents looking to bring more music into their daily routines, Kolnick offered a simple starting point.
"Have instruments around in a basket and play. Music like this can be as simple as having your go-to morning Spotify list and have it playing in the background, whether it's classical and that calms them, calms the parents down. As long as your family is enjoying music at home, together or in the car, I think it's like therapy," Kolnick said.
As a mother of 4 and entrepreneur, Kolnick also had advice for other busy parents trying to do it all.
"We know there's no such thing as balancing it all easily. Take care of yourself. Put your oxygen mask on first. It's hard to juggle it all, but I like to intentionally make space for myself so I can then make space for my family and my kids," Kolnick said.
More information about Jam with Jamie is available at jamwithjamie.com
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