One Music Together® mom recently told us that anyone who offers Music Together is “an exceptional human.” We agree! Our teachers and licensees come from all walks of life, but they all share the same love for what they do and commitment to bringing music into the lives of as many families as possible. We love spotlighting these stories (and there are many!) so others can see just how incredible our community is.
This is the story of Ginger Parish, director of Santa Rosa Area Music Together in California, who has been teaching/directing for 25 years—and is still going strong! She attributes her longevity to many things, including a love of the work, a sense of community, and top-notch teachers.
Meet Ginger
When her son was 19 months old, Ginger took the Music Together Teacher Training. At first, she thought teaching was something she would do while her son was young, and that by the time he got to kindergarten she would move on. But as he got older, Ginger realized she didn’t want to stop. She says, “I totally had that feeling I think a lot of us have in this business, which is that it was my calling. This is what I’m supposed to be doing.”
The beginning
Ginger returned from the first day of her Teacher Training singing, and she began listening to the music with her son. Right away, he started singing, “Uh-oh, Joe,” to the song, “Trot Old Joe.” Turns out, they would end up singing that song together all through his toddlerhood.
Santa Rosa Music Together started with two classes of ten families, and Ginger tells us, “They just never left.” Many of the families re-enrolled and told their friends. By the end of the first year, she was running six classes and out of the original 20 families, 13 of them were still with her! She was really encouraged by that, and her passion for Music Together only grew. She believes in the importance of the program so much that she thinks “every child should have it.”
The joy
As Ginger continued to teach and attend Music Together workshops, she learned a lot about child development. She relates that it has been a wonderful experience to notice musical behaviors in her classes and watch those behaviors develop over time. And she loves when families tell her stories about how music has affected their children. Ginger can see that what she is doing makes a difference.
She also loves to look around the room at her families as they walk like chickens, stomp like dinosaurs, and make funny noises. “It’s so great for the children to be surrounded by such playfulness. I love the willingness of people to get silly and follow me wherever I go!”
Longevity
In addition to her passion for the work of Music Together, Ginger attributes her success to two things: high-quality teachers and community-building.
Over the years, Ginger has developed a knack for identifying teacher candidates who have the greatest potential to be successful at her center, and she works hard to support their growth. She’s proud of her teaching staff. When ready to expand, Ginger encourages all licensees to find their own way to hiring and nurturing high-quality teachers.
Another factor in the success of her center is the community she build in every class. Ginger aims to treat everyone like family, and makes sure that each family feels welcome. She wants them to know that “this is their place now.” Strong friendships form between her families, and to her and her business—so much so that Ginger now has parents bringing babies to class who were themselves in her classes when they were little!
The future
Ginger’s commitment to bringing Music Together to as many people as possible hasn’t waned over the years. She still feels “a deep sense of service to keep this going,” and even two-and-a-half decades in, she has no plan to stop teaching any time soon.
When YOU decide to open your center (and we hope you do!), know that whether you keep it going for 5 years or 25 years, we hope you are encouraged and inspired by Ginger’s story to follow your passion in making the world a better place by making it more musical®!