Give the gift of an unforgettable Music Magic class to a special child in your life today! Book now.
Our Philosophy
International awareness
We bring our roots from Haiti and incorporate French, Spanish, and your child's hertitage into each class.
Personalized to every child
We don't just sit in a circle and sing! Your child's name and day will be incorporated into our songs!
High-energy, original songs
Our unique songs are catchy and draw upon international beats - you'll never want to listen to regular nursery songs again!
Culture of kindness
We cultivate a culture of kindness and integrate developing social skills into our curriculum.
Coffy and Yakini
Jean-Paul Coffy and Yakini Ajanaku-Coffy have more than 20 years of experience in music-based education for childcare! Previously, they owned and operated La Grande Famile, a highly sought-after daycare center in Hyde Park where Music Magic Time was the cornerstone of each day- music was incorporated into every activity! In 2020, they decided they wanted to focus full-time on their passion, bringing the joy of movement-based, internationally aware music to as many children as possible.
Coffy
Coffy was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and came to live in Chicago in 2001. Coffy has been the lead teacher at La Grande Famille for more than a decade. He received his degree from the Academy of Music in Haiti and early childhood degree in the Waldorf education system. Prior to his teaching career, Coffy traveled the world as the lead musician for a folklore band "Boukman Eksperygans." He speaks English, French, Haitian Creole, and the universal language of music!
Yakini
Yakini was born in Chicago and studied business management at Spelman College in Atlanta. She worked at the Haitian consulate in Chicago when she met Coffy during one of his musical tours.
After living in Haiti for several years, they returned to Chicago. With two young kids at home (Ade and Akin), Yakini decided to quit her corporate career and pursue a path that would keep her closer to home and allow her to spend more time with her family.
Our Space
We hold our sessions from a richly decorated room that changes with the seasons!
fired up
Lake Park
Take a look at what we did for over 105 days of the pandemic!
Through the eyes of the media... click on each button to learn more!
