Wiggleworms, Bonjour Wiggleworms Program, Kids’ Guitar, Guitar Together
Techniques - Learning by Ear, Participation, and Getting to know each other through music and song!
Jessica has been part of the community here at the Old Town School of Folk Music since 2011, when she enrolled her then 5 year-old son in a Beginning Strummers class. And to this day, the musical journey continues! Now you can see Jessica and her son playing at various Old Town School events, play dates, and family jams. She was also one of the family ensemble musicians who worked on the Ella Jenkins’ Camp Songs CD and shows.
Jessica asks that students and adults wear masks in her classes.
Jessica has been learning to teach children’s music from some of the great Old Town teachers such as Tisa Batchelder in the Wiggleworms Program and Jason McInnes, former director of the Young Stracke All-Stars and creator of Guitar Together. She continues her own musical education with Peggy Browning whose teaching style is deeply rooted in the traditions of the school. Jessica also holds a master’s degree in Education and French and has been known to include French and Spanish songs in her repertoire. You can have an immersive French experience in Bonjour Wiggleworms with Jessica. She combines her academic knowledge with real world teaching experience.
On the surface, the concept of Wiggleworms is relatively simple and entails singing alongside your child in a safe and encouraging environment. But it is so much more than this! Your child will explore, sing, dance, and pick up new instruments for the very first time. Jessica has witnessed how these fundamental interactions under the patient guidance of a dedicated teacher can lead a child to become an integral part of a caring community. We hope you and your family will join us!
Started at the Old Town School in January of 2019
Education: B.A. in French, University of Wisconsin, Madison (1997); M.Ed. Grades 6-12 Second Language Acquisition (2004) & M.A. in French (2007) University of Illinois at Chicago
Started at the Old Town School in March of 2016
