Program and suddenly my days were structured, I had meaningful
interaction. Every aspect of preschool had a positive impact on me, but
the visits from the 'harpsichord lady' are especially vivid memories to
this day. She would visit our little school and we would sing and dance
to the melodic sounds of her harpsichord.”
When asked to give a title to her new career, she says: "I describe
myself first and foremost as an early childhood educator, then as an
“edutainer” and author. The tools I use to educate preschoolers are
puppets, songs, and games, and instead of reporting to one single
classroom every day, I get to entertain children in classrooms all
around Florida.”
So how did Miss Toni & The Macaroni Band come to be? Toni smiled:
“It started with a simple song, honestly. Just a little ditty to comfort a
child experiencing separation anxiety from his mommy in the middle
of the school day.”
Toni recorded an 18-track album featuring songs she’d composed to
comfort her little ones as well as help them transition from one classroom
activity to the next. She continued: “Parents started asking me for
copies of the songs because their kids loved them so much. When I
finished the album, I started getting invitations to perform, which led
to me assembling a band to perform at schools and charity events. It
all took me by surprise, but it helped solidify the creation of Miss Toni
& The Macaroni Band.”
The self-titled album is available to stream on her website as well
as iTunes, Spotify, and other major music streaming platforms. Toni
has also recently completed work on her first children’s book “In The
Morning” named after the first track on her album.
She said: “I created it as a tool to assist young children with anxiety to
understand object permanence especially as relief against separation
anxiety. I want children to have that sense of empowerment when they
engage with the book, and children learn through play, so I tried to
develop something that shows meaningful play experiences that can
inspire a child’s imagination.”
“The performance was amazing. We were looking for a performer to visit
our preschool to help educate in a developmentally appropriate manner.
We chose Miss Toni and Little Chick because she was genuine, warm,
passionate about her love for and education of young children. Little
Chick accompanied Miss Toni and she helped answer their questions
about preschool. We loved our visit, as it was interactive and comforting.
We highly recommend this performance for all little ones!!”
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“Miss Toni’s performance at our school was nothing but outstanding. From
the moment she stepped into the room the kids were drawn towards her
colorful attire, amazing personality, and fun puppet friends. Our inclusionbased
programming means that at times students may have difficulties
staying engaged with an activity for an extended period. NOT with Miss
Toni; she had every student up singing, dancing and participating! Not
only was she sensitive to the needs of our school but she was able to
connect with students and staff to create a memorable performance with
a positive message. We still sing her songs and the kids always ask when
she is coming back! Thank you again!”
“Miss Toni’s visit with us was high energy, filled with a lot of laughter. The
kids had so much fun and really enjoyed all the songs!"
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