Homies In Harmony with Auntie Jayanthi
For children ages 0 – 6 and their caregivers.
Homies in Harmony offers weekly classes which grow our natural desire to stand up and love each other across barriers and tap into the musician inside all of us. With a focus on little ones ages 0-6 these weekly classes give space to explore various musical instruments. Auntie Jayanthi will nurture young learners by drawing on social aware artists like Ella Jenkins and Bob Marley, among others. American folk songs, especially those from the African-American cultural experience will be used to help introduce and explore musical concepts.
Join us to sing, play, and learn about our peaceful instincts, self-esteem, empathy, history, honesty and responsibility.
For questions contact Student Services: info@walkerwest.org.
2022-2023 Schedule
These in-person classes are offered in 8 week sessions, with 2 sessions to choose from on either Friday or Saturday. Classes are 45 min each, beginning at 10 am or 11am.
- Session One: September 30 – November 19
- Session Two: December 2 – February 4
- Session Three: February 10 – April 1
- Session Four: April 14 – May 20 (enrolling now)
Cost
6-week session:
1-2 children / 1-2 adults – $120
3-4 children / 2 adults – $180
8-week session:
1-2 children / 1-2 adults – $160
3-4 children / 2 adults – $240
Tuition Assistance is available, apply here.
Teaching Artist: Jayanthi Rajasa AKA “Auntie Jayanthi”
Auntie Jayanthi Rajasa is an archivist songstress collecting songs that speak to her struggle and empowerment and ability to be, change, and move forward while honoring the unremembered changers and movers of yore. She sings for people passing worlds (new or old or hardly used—meaning births and children, hospice and funerals, free and incarcerated, loved or lost) and has been in more than 10 bands in The Twin Cities. She loves being a teaching artist to every age and holding song or poetry circles.
For decades Jayanthi has been leading songs and sharing space with children circles, elder circles, mother circles, and inter-generational space. Mother to a 13,14, 9, and a 3 year old, she relies on communicating with her children musically and through drawings often, and has seen it reach areas of their heart and psyche for healing, mindfulness, and deep connection in a way that mere words could not. Auntie Jayanthi works with the Million Artist Movement to dismantle racism and injustice towards people of color and dream collectively to produce actions for change and Black Liberation. She also works with Mama Mosaic on Minnesota Girls Are Not For Sale seeking freedom for women and girl sex slaves in Minnesota.
Safety Guidelines:
Face masks are optional while community levels are low. Families will be notified if community levels are high and face masks are required. If you have tested positive for COVID-19, please follow CDC guidelines: Isolation and Precautions for People with Covid 19
Please complete a daily personal health screening before arrival.
If a class participant has any of the following COVID-19 symptoms listed below, even if they have completed their primary vaccination series, received a booster shot, or previously had COVID-19, please do not attend class. Symptoms of COVID-19 include: new onset cough or shortness of breath, fever (100.4ºF or higher) or feeling feverish, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache, loss of sense of smell or taste, and gastrointestinal symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting or nausea.