meet the loveless family

A family of five walking in a park with orange fallen leaves and trees with orange and brown leaves in the background.

We’re Laren and Aimee — educators, parents of three, longtime South City residents and the husband-and-wife team behind Music & Me.

After years in the classroom, we dreamed of creating something that brought together the things we care about most: music, play, early childhood development and meaningful connection. Music & Me grew from that dream into a community where children and their grown-ups can come exactly as they are.

Our own three kids are a big part of Music & Me, too. You’ll often find them dancing, helping with puppets, grabbing a snack or having some big feelings right alongside everyone else.

For our family, Music & Me is more than a business. It’s a way to create the kind of joyful, inclusive community we want our own children to grow up in.

Play • Connect • Belong.

  • A man kneeling on grass, wearing a colorful Hawaiian shirt and matching shorts, holding a lap steel guitar, standing in front of a microphone in an outdoor setting with cars in the background.

    Laren

    CO-FOUNDER

    Laren is the heart and musical energy behind Music & Me. With a playful, empathetic teaching style, he has a way of making children and grown-ups alike feel comfortable enough to sing, dance, be silly and join in however feels right for them. Think modern-day Mr. Rogers — with a few more instruments and costumes.

    With more than 15 years of experience teaching music to children and adults, Laren brings a deep understanding of how music can build confidence, creativity and connection. He plays everything from drums and piano to autoharp and sings, and is also a longtime local musician and recording artist.

    In 2024, Laren left his position as a music teacher at City Academy to focus on growing Music & Me. He also teaches music at Hopemark Preschool inside Hope UCC, the home of our South City indoor classes as well as Step Ahead Childcare Academy.

    When he’s not making music, you’ll probably find him practicing yoga, watching a music documentary, playing dress-up with the kids or heading out for a run around Francis Park.

  • A woman with long, wavy brown hair and blue eyes smiling outdoors in a park with autumn leaves.

    Aimee

    CO-FOUNDER

    Aimee brings her background in education, curriculum development and community building to Music & Me. She helps shape classes that are playful and joyful while being intentionally designed around how young children learn, connect and grow.

    Aimee holds two master’s degrees — one in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and one in Curriculum & Instruction — and spent years in education before stepping away from the classroom to focus on raising her family and building Music & Me alongside Laren.

    She’s also the person behind the emails, social media, website and marketing that keep Music & Me families connected and help the community continue to grow. From developing class themes and social-emotional content to building community partnerships, planning special events and dreaming up what comes next, Aimee works alongside Laren on the countless big and little details that bring Music & Me to life.

    When she’s not working on Music & Me, you’ll probably find her walking around South City with the kids, rearranging something in the house, planning the next family adventure or convincing Laren that she has “just one more idea” for Music & Me.