Favorite Female Founder | Jana Hair
Feature written by Danielle Kleist | Spring/Summer 2024
Harmony In Play
How Jana Hair is building lasting bonds through music with Music Together Tri-Cities
Making music with your child can be an intimate experience that forms a meaningful bond. Jana Hair with Music Together Tri-Cities has established a program that allows young children, from newborns to eight years old, to sing, dance, and create lasting memories with their families.
In 2016, Jana started a Music Together® location because it focuses on connecting families and encourages music to continue in the home – not just during class. This type of program resonated with Jana because she grew up playing the piano and singing with her own family. It was one of the primary ways her family connected with one another.
“We know that children learn best through play, and so PLAY is what we do! We also know that children learn best when those they love (their favorite grownups!) sing, dance, and play right along with them. The joyful participation of the grownups who attend our classes is vital for their child's musical growth, and for the musical community we are building,” describes Jana.
“We know that children learn best through play, and so PLAY is what we do!”
When you enter a Music Together® class with Jana, you are immediately transported to a magical place where your child is surrounded by positive energy. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nannies, and friends are always welcome. It doesn’t matter if you are uncomfortable with your own singing or dancing, your child thinks you are the world. In 45 minutes, participants will repeat rhythmic patterns, learn how their child’s brain is processing music, and make new friends with other families.
Jana says that during her classes, “everyone contributes, everyone matters, and we cultivate a community of kindness. As I am teaching, I like to take mental notes of when I see small kindnesses occur in class.”
Ali Hertzel, Jana’s Favorite Female Founder nominator, said, “Music Together Tri-Cities is promoting social connections and supporting the growth and development of children in our area. It has opened my world to other families with young children. I am forever grateful for the friends I have made, thanks to Jana’s classes.”
There is research to support that music helps a child’s body and mind work together. By doing so, it promotes a better understanding of math, speech, and motor skills. Jana provides the community with a fun and educational way to assist in a child’s development, while also bringing your inner child out to play. Jana says, “It’s powerful to find and use your own voice.”
Music Together Tri-Cities has enrolled over two thousand children in their program since its inception, with waitlisted classes each session. Annually, Jana holds a larger-scale Holiday Musical Open House where families make crafts, enter a raffle, and collect donations for Safe Harbor.
Jana is very inclusive and wants everyone to enjoy precious moments with their child. She is already thinking of ways to increase community engagement by holding classes in nursing homes and how to hire additional teachers to provide more opportunities for families to come off the waitlist. Music Together Tri-Cities might seem like an ordinary program, but it has an extraordinary impact on children, families, and our local community.
For more information on Music Together Tri-Cities visit musictogethertricities.com or contact Jana at musictogether.jana@gmail.com.