Brooke Hampton once implored us to "speak to our children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth, for what they believe is what they will become." 

Nervous smiles hidden underneath masks.
Sanitization in all its forms lining the back table.
Just waves, no touching. 
Open House, Fall of 2021.

Entering the education field in the midst of a pandemic was an experience like no other. The weight of the world was still visible on the shoulders of all. I quickly saw how the pandemic impacted our young learners and I immediately started searching for ways to spread some light and connect with my students on a deeper level. As I reflected and brainstormed ways I could do this best, two passions - two worlds - collided.

Teaching.
Music. 

While I am no professional musician, I do find that music has a way of reaching the hearts of all its listeners, regardless of age. And I love music. It has played an instrumental role in my life (no pun intended) and has been a beautiful creative outlet for me. And in a time when it seemed the whole world could benefit from some uplifting joy, my journey of creating this album began. 

Each song on this album was created with purpose. Following Hampton's advice, I wanted every student to feel empowered, seen, valued, and/or inspired after hearing a song. Some songs are about kindness, having confidence, being proud of and embracing who you are. Some songs on this album assisted in teaching curricular content like figurative language, sensory details in writing, and vocabulary. Regardless, each time I played a song for my class for the first time, I made it into a whole lesson where we dove deep into the themes and messages. 

Tomorrow's authors, engineers, judges, scientists, health care workers are with us today. And if we want "tomorrow" to be wise, kind, beautiful, and magical, it's best we remain present with the curious hearts and minds of our children. Let's believe in them.