Hi, I’m Jeweliann.
I’m a bilingual Japanese-American early childhood music educator living in Kyoto.
I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think. — Rumi
Raised in both America and Japan, I grew up playing classical violin and piano. Later on, I played violin and harpsichord in the Chamber Music Society at Harvard University, where I majored in English Literature and East Asian Studies. Gradually however, the perfectionism common in the culture of classical performance led me to burnout, and my instruments spent years mostly in their cases.
Two things reignited my love for music: communal singing and the birth of my daughter.
While working in post-2011 disaster Tohoku for 2 years, I spent time singing a lot of Japanese folk songs and oldies with community members at local singalongs, which reminded me of how powerful and restorative communal music is. Then, once I became a mother, I re-encountered music powerfully. The way my daughter would respond to my singing, and then later on sing non-stop herself, underscored how music was never meant to be about perfect technique or performance. It’s our first and universal language, a fundamental part of being human, a birthright for every child, and one of the simplest, yet magical ways a family can connect.
My classes draw heavily from the folk-based principles of Dr. John Feierabend’s First Steps in Music, inspired by the Kodály philosophy. Inspired by my daughter, I also completed the Music Together® Teacher Training in early childhood music and movement to deepen my pedagogical practice.
Commercial music has convinced a lot of us that singing is only for the “talented,” and communal singing has quietly disappeared, even in family life. But music isn’t meant to be consumed passively through a speaker. I created this space so parents and kids can leave self-consciousness at the door and experience the power and joy of making music together.
Tuneful, beatful, and artful.
Alongside well-known childhood favorites, we share traditional folk songs from America and from around the world. Exposure to diverse tonal landscapes early on nurtures your child’s innate musical ear.
Our approach is grounded in the First Steps in Music framework developed by Dr. John Feierabend, inspired by the Kodály philosophy. Rooted in becoming “Tuneful, Beatful, and Artful,” we focus on playful, developmentally sound music-making rather than formal performance or rote drills.
How musical play builds the bilingual brain.
In early childhood, music and language processing share foundational neural pathways. By singing and moving together, young children absorb the natural cadence, phrasing, and patterns of English organically through play, no flashcards required!
The years from birth to five are a critical developmental window for primary music and language development, which is why this is such a wonderful time to enjoy music and language together as a family.
“It makes me so happy to see English sinking in naturally through sound and feeling, not through grammar. At home, my daughter is singing the English songs on her own!”
“The teacher’s singing and playing are so gentle and fun. Children and parents alike were wrapped in English, and it was an experience that soaked right into our bodies and hearts!”