-- mother, songwriter, musician, educator and the founder of Charity and the JAMband, JAMboodas Music and Dance, and JAMcamp. I've been singing and dancing with children and families since the inception of JAM in 2001, following careers as a high school math teacher, author (Math and Music: Harmonious Connection) and web site engineer.
What started in my living room as a music-and-movement playgroup for my friends and their kids has expanded into an ever-growing collection of award-winning recorded music, regular live performances by the JAMband, classes & camps for kids, and workshops for the grown-ups who love and teach them.
Why JAM? I do what I do because of the deep love, respect and awe I have found for children and the families that nurture them, through my own experiences as a mother, through my work with children and from being in community with other parents and teachers. There is nothing more pure or honest than a child, and nothing more powerful than a grown-up doing her or his best to respond consciously and responsibly to that being. These little souls are our finest guides, and provide our richest opporutnities to both grow ourselves and also make the world a better place.
 The music of the JAMband and the dance, drama, mindfulness and art experiences I share with the children in my programs emanate from the day-to-day experience of being in relationship with children -- the opportunity in every single moment to truly LISTEN to what they are bringing us; the moments where we as grown-ups experience the infinite through our unconditional love for them and their unconditional trust in us; the hysterically funny and sometimes downright maddening ups and downs of family life; the way children can speak truth that resonates at least as powerfully as that spoken by a spiritual master (for fun, follow @preschoolgems and @DalaiLama on Twitter and see who inspires you more!); the chance to see the world anew through their unjaded, non-judgemental, accepting and open eyes and minds.
We are lucky these folks chose to share these moments with us, and the fact that we have a chance to sing, dance, be present and create -- PLAY! -- along with them is a true gift. So let's GO!
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