Early Childhood Music

From church to school, Kristi, as a youngster, was surrounded with all forms and genres of music.

Upon graduating from high school, at age 18, she began performing as a vocalist with a popular Contemporary Christian group, and over the next ten years she experienced a vast array of different settings as she performed in over twenty different countries on four continents. She sang before crowds as small as 25 in underground churches in Yugoslavia and as large as 250,000 at the Festival of the Black Madonna in Czestochowa, Poland.

While touring behind the Iron Curtain she experienced straw beds and chicken soup (complete with real chicken feet) and real blood sausage in eastern bloc monasteries. She was part of the first interracial music performance to ever take place in South Africa, traversed Rhodesia in armed vans and performed in Northern Ireland during the peak of political violence.

Upon the birth of her son, Kristi read books and articles that stressed the importance of developing baby’s and toddler’s neuropathways and created a myriad of different ways to expose her new-born child to a variety of musical and tactile experiences which would help him in the areas of music, language and mathematics. As a young mother she began to form musical programs that consistently exposed him to a myriad of musical styles as well as participation with a variety of tonal and rhythmic sources. 

Years later she discovered and was trained in an educational genre called Early Childhood Music that mirrored the homegrown programs she had developed. Her classes are filled with a variety of music, props and small rhythm instruments which provide a fun and unique musical experience for her participants.

Upon becoming the director of Jan Williams School of Music, Kristi completed her formal certification to teach early childhood music and launched three early childhood programs: Music for Mommy & Me (Infant – 15 mos.), Tunes for Toddlers (16 mos. – 36 mos.) and Music Makers (3 yrs. – 4 yrs.).  

Kristi has a passion for opening the world of music to the wee ones and can testify to the positive effects of early childhood music from firsthand experience. She has a warm and engaging personality that puts both children and parents at ease; and after many years, she still loves the thrill and joy of guiding young children, some for the first time, to their first exposure to and participation in music.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Music Lab does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.

Music Lab is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.