Shop At Schoola And Help A School In Need

This post is brought to you by Schoola, the best place to buy discounted kids clothes all while give back to schools in need. Click here to learn more about Schoola. Click here to see what people are saying.  All opinions are my own.

Music has been a part of our lives since early childhood. Before we even learned how to play “Hot Cross Buns” on our school-issued recorder, we knew how to sing and dance. I have vivid memories of my siblings and I putting on shows for our relatives at every family gathering. Our folks were big into country music back then and many of our shows involved singing “Lucille” by Kenny Rogers and dancing around the living room in random costumes that we pulled together.

As time went on, and our parents taste in music shifted, the performances got longer and funnier. We made up shows to Sonny & Cher, Cream, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Phil Collins, and more. It’s a diverse list, but that’s the beauty of it. Our parents taught us to be open-minded about people, and life in general, through the music that we listened to in our home.

When I entered the fourth grade, I had to pick an instrument to play. I’m not sure if the school required it or our parents did, but regardless, I remember going to our Mom for advice. Instead of telling me what I should play, she instead told me about all of the talented musicians in our family. Unbeknownst to me, she played the violin and the xylophone growing up. I had no idea! Then she told me that music isn’t only playing an instrument, it can be your Voice too. She went on to share that Grandma Martha’s father played the guitar and was on the radio back in the day, and that Nanny was a lounge singer and even made a few records. How cool and exciting!

I ended up picking the flute, and although I wasn’t the best player, I stuck with all the way through senior year of high school. The following year, my sister chose the clarinet, and a few years later, our brother chose the trumpet. Over the years, I dabbled with the alto saxophone, my sister also tried the trumpet, and our brother even played an electric guitar. We all used our Voices as well and participated in the school choirs. Needless to say, our family concerts got louder, and even though we weren’t always on-key or in-tune, our family always encouraged us to keep on trying.

With our family’s encouragement, music became a common thread among us. Regardless of our individual tastes in music, we all understood the importance of appreciating the many different styles of music. Whether we were on our boat, or in the yard, or just helping Mom clean the house, music was always playing. It became an integral part of our lives — and even now, as an adult, with children of my own, I always have music playing. My goal is to expose them to as much music as possible, so that they, too, grow up to be open-minded with a great respect for people and life, in general.

Which brings me to our friends at Schoola. In case you’re not familiar with them, Schoola is an online consignment store dedicated to recycling brand-name children’s clothes, with a portion of the proceeds going to schools in need. This innovative new program – which saves parents money and gives back at the same time – has been heralded by Fox News, the LA Times, Forbes and Parenting Magazine.

We Know Stuff is proud to support their “20 Days of School” Adopt-A-School Campaign. Being native Long Islanders, we wanted to support a school close to home and we have chosen to support KIPP Academy in the Bronx.

KIPP Academy – Goal: $25,000 to fund the music program

A small school in the Bronx, KIPP Academy works hard to support kids who need all the help they can get. Ninety-five percent of its students qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch. More than one in seven receives special education services. Music helps KIPP Academy reach and engage every child who enters its doors. The slogan on the Music Room wall sets the stage—All of Us Will Learn Music.  No matter what backgrounds they come from or what challenges they face, they learn lessons together that will serve them the rest of their lives.

Here’s how you can help KIPP Academy reach their goal:

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