On her thirteenth birthday, before heading out for Mexican food (her fave!), Music & Me alumnus Hannah Mapes gave WeJoySing her take on musical foundations.

Hannah has grown up in a musical home with an added advantage: her mom is a WeJoySing instructor! Not only did Hannah participate in the 4-5’s HeartStrings program and complete every level of Music & Me, she was also “Mrs. Nancy’s” “practice partner” or was that “guinea pig?!” :) as Nancy prepared her lessons. All of that “experimenting” led to Hannah’s true love of music.

Hannah’s most exciting accomplishment was in auditioning and being selected for Columbus Children's Choir's top performing choir: the New World Singers. Hannah says that Music & Me helped prepare her for the sight-reading she does at CCC. “We read our music in solfege first. [Kodály methodology, using do, re, me to identify pitch] Mrs. Jo taught me that!”

Because of Hannah’s great experiences at WeJoySing, “music has never been a chore for her,” says Nancy. “She soaks up music. That Joyful Foundation has truly carried through…” WeJoySing has also contributed to Hannah’s non-musical development. “It has helped her to think logically; she is very self-disciplined.”

Nancy says Hannah’s WeJoySing years had a direct impact on the things she’s now involved in, even opening doors of opportunity for her daughter. New musical and cultural experiences have built Hannah’s confidence and broadened her awareness.

A member of the honors choir at Watkins Middle School (Southwest Licking Schools), Hannah also plays piano, the hand bells, and participates in her church’s teen choir.

In June, Hannah will be performing with the New World Singers in Austria, Hungary and Germany and will sing at the famous Franziskaner Church (where Maria married Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music).

What about Mom? “I’m going to live vicariously through her,” laughs Nancy. “She’s never flown, but she’s confident and ready…it will be [an experience] she’ll never forget.”

Hannah is a fan of The Sound of Music. “I hope to be in musicals in high school and college and go on to be a teacher.”

Nancy loves watching Hannah “follow the path God has chosen for her.” If that path leads to being a teacher, it will fulfill Hannah’s dream since kindergarten. On her first day, she came home and stood at the “chalkboard” (the refrigerator), manipulating magnet-letters and announcing her career choice.

What is Nancy’s advice to you as you build upon musical foundations to bring your little ones’ dreams to life? “Allow children to do what they enjoy…This is going to sound like a commercial for WeJoySing, but I really can’t say enough about Music & Me. A lot of times we see kids go through HeartStrings, and [because they’re busy] they don’t continue, but Music & Me lays such a good foundation. It helped Hannah to be ahead of her peers. There’s just no substitute for high quality musical education at that age.”

What did Hannah love best about Music & Me? The joyful games. “On the last week, we chose our favorite games, and that was really fun…One game was called ‘Cut the cake,’ and at our very last class, Mrs. Jo brought a cake in for us!”

And it wasn’t even Hannah’s birthday! Today, WeJoySing has even more wonderful reasons to “celebrate” this young singer’s success!

A Note from Mrs. Jo-
If fostering a musical environment is one of the best foundations parents can provide, from the start, Hannah Mapes was destined for big things! So is your child! Hooray for Hannah and all of our wonderful WeJoySing children!

"Sing"cerely,
Mrs. Jo