Musik to Grow Celebrates 28 years!

Looking back, our beginnings did not seem significant. It developed out of a young mom’s passion for God, family, the young child and music. Almost twenty-five years ago, Jan Boner had two small daughters and desired to work part time to be able to attend to the needs of her growing family. At that time, she had a bachelor’s degree in music therapy but desired to focus on music for the young child. At the University of Missouri, Jan took a Masters level class on Early Childhood Music from Dr. Wendy Sims. An eight week curricula developed and Music to Go and Grow was born in 1992. She began roving the city of Columbia, Missouri teaching in several home childcare programs.

Upon moving to Marietta, GA in 1996, the renamed, Musik to Grow, continued to grow as the program was accepted at several large day care facilities. She also taught parent/child music classes at the East Cobb YMCA. As her children grew, she took on more schools but would always conclude teaching before lunch in order to pick up her youngest (third) daughter at the local church preschool. With the encouragement of her husband, she worked only mornings and evenings in order to keep the needs of her family first.

In the spring of 1999, Jan attended an educator’s workshop at Southern Keyboards in Atlanta. A passionate presenter, Dr. Lorna Heyge, founder of Musikgarten, spoke on how young children learn music. She spoke with great understanding of how to engage the young learners in quality music experiences through moving, singing, playing instruments, listening and echoing patterns. Her sound logic and passion for music, family and the young child was contagious!

That summer, Jan participated in her first Musikgarten Educators Workshop. Our own Dr. Mary Louise Wilson was her first Musikgarten trainer! The class consisted of several other mature teachers who had previously taught another early childhood curricula.  It was with this unique group that Jan learned all the curricula then available from Musikgarten, in just one week! It was a condensed presentation of music curricula for babies through age six year olds. She became knowledgeable to teach the extended age range with understanding and confidence. That fall Jan opened classes at The Art Place of Mountain View, offering three different classes for babies through age five. She also continued to teach at a couple large learning centers.

The diversity of teaching settings was refreshing to Jan. During the parent/child classes, she was able to embrace the family relationships and encourage parents to be musical with their children. While teaching at the learning centers, the teachers were empowered to lead music activities during the daily schedule. The program grew in numbers in classes and learning centers.

Over time, Jan needed help to teach classes she contracted others to teach in various learning centers and teaching centers in the Cobb County area such as Barb Stanley, Marcie Kinney, Kathy Makison, Treva Collins, Julie Cutcliff, Lydia Lawrence, Adina Lambert and Laura Davidson. We were also fortunate to have Dr. Mary Louise Wilson join us in 2006 when she moved from Florida to the Alpharetta area. Music therapists, Sabrina Williams and Catherine Black expanded our work with special needs children. Most recently, Laurie Zarin and Amy Fudger joined us. We have a strong history of having compassionate and talented Musikgarten teachers.

The opportunity rose to develop music classes at the Mable House in South Cobb County. Fridays mornings were the place to be for young mothers and their children! Dara Vidito, Valorie MacDonald and I all had a part to develop this program.

The Art Place program grew to eight classes on two mornings week. The afterschool classes for elementary age children filled, expanding the curricula to include kindergarten and first grade pre-instrumental classes and also group keyboard classes.

Over time, challenges presented themselves with the turn of the economy which required Musik to Grow to change with the need. The County facilities closed on Friday and cancelled our Friday classes in South Cobb. Several learning centers stopped the music program when the unemployment rate rose and their enrollment numbers dropped.  Eventually parent/child classes moved to facilities such as the Coffee Park, Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Greater Atlanta Speech & Language Clinic and eventually Draisen Edwards Music Center. Even during the emergency downsizing construction at Parkaire Plaza, we conducted music classes at John and Jennifer Hopkins home from the Zach Brown Band! In 2017, Phil Nieverson, the owner of Jennings Music invited Musik to Grow to offer classes at their facility on Canton Road in order to complete their music education program for the youngest students.  Music classes were offered at both locations until Draisen Edwards closed their business in the Summer of 2018.

Through the years, change, flexibility, tenacity and a perseverant passion has kept Musik to Grow alive and thriving. God has certainly prospered this business with the constant support of her husband, Lon Boner, her children, many wonderful teachers and the most amazing musical families of East Cobb County. The musical journey of Musik to Grow will continue thanks to God, dynamic teachers and all the families that believe in the multifaceted benefits of music in our children’s lives.