Children's Entertainer & Accordion Live Music Performances in Kansas City and the Midwest

Hi and welcome!

I’m Jane Christison, the creator of Music With A Smile® and Janie Next Door®.

I sing, play the accordion, and bring smiles and fun to every musical performance. My programs will get you singing, dancing, tapping toes and clapping along.

From small private parties to large festivals, I offer musical programs and entertainment for young and old.

So, come on in. Explore Music With A Smile and Janie Next Door, and let’s get the music started!

Music With A Smile and Janie Next Door with Jane Christison | MusicWithASmile.com
Music With A Smile and Janie Next Door with Jane Christison | MusicWithASmile.com

Learn all about Music With A Smile

Jane is a talented accordionist and singer that brings personality and enthusiasm to venues like preschools, elementary schools, festivals, libraries, retirement communities, nursing homes, memory care facilities, and more. Clients range from preschoolers to seniors, and the goal is always the same: to share the joy of a live music performance, no matter what age the audience.

She offers workshops for people looking to improve their performance and musical skills, as well as a workshop on how to incorporate music in preschool and early elementary classrooms, even if you’ve never had a music lesson in your life.

You can also find teacher resources for preschool and early elementary ages with the “Come Sing Along with Janie Next Door Learning Guide for Classroom Teachers, Music Educators and Homeschooling – Preschool through Early Elementaryand the “Come Sing Along with Janie Next Door Activities Book.” 

Click a box below to get more info!

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Amy Schroeder

I work with Pam P., and she recently bought me  “Janie Next Door” CD for my two kiddos, ages two and four. They LOVE it! My two-year-old son always asks for “owside song” (1st on the CD), and my four-year-old asks for a different one each day: the lunchbox song, the shoe song, etc.

I’m amazed at how often my daughter will break out into one of your songs after something was said similar. And, because of “I Had Beans Last Night”, my kids now eat any kind of bean I put in front of them, just so they can sing the song! I like the CD for its originality, and I really admire your talent!

Amy Schroeder, Mom
Overland Park, Kansas

Debbie Gray

Janie’s collection of original songs is entertaining for adults and a blast for kids!  The tunes are catchy, the lyrics cute and informative, the sound effects are novel, the energy is contagious and the endless variety of styles and sounds provide something for everyone to love!  Equally exciting, there is an abundance of concept samples that connect beautifully to state Fine Arts standards, making this CD a music educator’s dream.

Debbie Gray, BME, MAT Educator, Author and Keynote Speaker
Lee’s Summit, Missouri

Emily Hagen

She is always smiling and you can see that she really enjoys what she does.

Emily Hagen, Activities Director
Overland Park, Kansas

Jackie Kamin

Jane is delightful . . . Her smile is contagious.

Jackie Kamin, Apartments Concierge
Kansas City, Missouri

Diane Crnkovich

The residents enjoyed Jane’s performance very much.  They tell me “She makes us feel young, brings back memories and puts a smile on our faces.

Diane Crnkovich, Activities Director
Overland Park, Kansas

Lynn Wollard

For 30 minutes Janie had our 3-5 year olds under her musical spell! She invited student involvement, and the kids loved that.

Lynn Wollard, Preschool Director
Kansas City, Missouri

Elana Wagner

Jane is a very interactive and energetic performer . . . The residents love her!

Elana Wagner, Activities Manager
Lee's Summit, Missouri

Amanda Noland

The music was wonderful! So many of our residents made comments to me about how much they enjoyed the music and how Jane just smiled through the whole performance. It was excellent!

Amanda Noland, Activities Director
St. Joseph, Missouri

Ginette Ritter

Jane is professional yet brings such a ray of sunshine & energy perfect for our community. The residents sing along, tap their feet & clap their hands. She has a wonderful way of bringing the residents out of their shell.

Ginette Ritter, Activities Director
Raytown, Missouri

Cathy Slavik

Jane’s performances are always high energy. Her variety of tunes reaches all the residents for it taps into long-term memory-evoking verbal and non-verbal responses, movements and sparks conversation that continues after the program.  Enhancing her program would be difficult for we already like all she does.

Cathy Slavik, CTRS, Recreational Therapist
Lenexa, Kansas

Tina Shelite

Jane is a wonderful performer.  She has a beautiful voice, a lovely smile, and our residents love her. She does a fantastic job encouraging them to join her.  We really enjoy her!

Tina Shelite, Director of Activities
Leawood, Kansas

Kim Manford

Thank you for coming to our school!  The children and teachers had a wonderful time. The children were engaged and interested.  I love that you taught the children about the accordion. What a fun morning!

Kim Manford, Preschool Co-Director
Kansas City, Missouri

Penny Snodgrass

Most terrific! Very energizing and fun! We loved the Come Sing Along With Janie Next Door program as much as the children did.

Penny Snodgrass, Preschool Director
Lee’s Summit, Missouri

Peggy Snodgrass

Most terrific! Very energizing and fun! We loved the Come Sing Along With Janie Next Door program as much as the children did.

Peggy Snodgrass, Preschool Director
Lee’s Summit, MO

Jane Rink

Accordion music, marching, silly songs = FUN! Janie Next Door was a huge hit at our library, for young and old alike! We can’t wait to have her back!

Jane Rink, Early Child Coordinator, Bonner Springs City Library
Bonner Springs, Kansas

Katie Rhodes

The residents really respond to Jane’s music and personality. A resident told me that “Jane’s music is like sunshine”.

Katie Rhodes, Activities Director
Kansas City, Missouri

Marielle Scarborough

This is the most excited my residents have ever been about a performance. We will definitely have her back!

Marielle Scarborough, Enrichment Coordinator
St. Joseph, Missouri

Dawn Schnake

My preschooler and first-grader love Janie!

Dawn Schnake, Mom
Overland Park, Kansas

Susan D. Brown

The children, ages 2 1/2 to 12 years, were all active, involved and excited about the performance. Janie’s ability to capture an audience is amazing!

Susan D. Brown, Assistant Director, Early Education Center
Shawnee, Kansas

Jamie Ellis

Jane’s program was unique and entertaining.

Jamie Ellis, Activities Director
Olathe, Kansas

Rita Davidson

The tunes on “Come Sing Along With Janie Next Door” are catchy, the lyrics easy to remember, and Jane’s enthusiasm for music is contagious! Elementary school children will be captivated by the fun and “get involved” mood created by Jane. I recommend this CD to parents, children, music teachers, and elementary school teachers who want to create some lively and enjoyable moments for their students!

Rita Davidson, National Editor

Toi Hunt

Her smile alone brightens up the room before she even plays a note. Add her music and the whole room feels like it will burst with glee. Jane surely lifts up our resident’s spirits and causes them to escape their daily life.

Toi Hunt, Activities Director
Kansas City, Missouri

Leona Murphy

It was fun to see someone play the accordion. Great idea getting the children and families to participate!

Leona Murphy, Preschool Director
Overland Park, Kansas

Abbie Grooms

The residents loved Jane’s energy, music, and personality.  The performance was great.

Abbie Grooms, Director of Lifestyles
Leawood, Kansas

Bev Lentz

Jane is personality plus. She knows what folks enjoy and does her best at every performance to deliver. Folks were still talking about the performance a week later.

Bev Lentz, Activities Director
Kansas City, Missouri

Cy Richards

As a grandparent, I’m well past childhood, but I thoroughly enjoyed all the songs on the CD. The tunes, the words, the sound effects are so much fun, that you can’t help joining in by singing along, tapping your toes and even getting up and dancing. I can hardly wait to share this CD with my grandkids.

Cy Richards, Grandfather
Overland Park, Kansas

Aimee Alderman

Jane engaged parents and children in fun, easy-to-sing songs. She exercised their muscles with marching and skipping, their brains with clapping and interesting vocabulary, and their spirits with her joyful program. Parents and children alike had so much fun. It was wonderful to see families enjoy this experience together!

Aimee Alderman, Coordinator, Parent as Teachers Association
Kansas City, Missouri

Children's Music Education Materials

Integrate music in the classroom to make learning fun, even if you’re not a musician.

The Come Sing Along with Janie Next Door™ Learning Guide & Activities Book takes Jane's award-winning children’s CD and turns its 18 original, upbeat songs into attention-grabbing lessons that classroom teachers, music educators, and homeschoolers will love teaching to their students, from preschool through early elementary. 

Using classroom-tested techniques by music educator Debbie Gray, the book connects the songs with reading fluency and comprehension, art, math, language arts, physical education and more.

Go ahead and click below to check them out and make learning fun!

Live Music for Toe-Tappin' Fun!

Music With A Smile and Janie Next Door with Jane Christison | MusicWithASmile.com

Live Musical Performances for Seniors & Special Events

Professional accordionist and singer Jane Christison is known for her trademarked Music With A Smile®.  Her performances are filled with personality and an enthusiasm for playing the accordion that shines through.

Find out how to have her bring the music and fun to your event, party, senior home community, or organization.

About Music With A Smile | MusicWithASmile.com
Janie Next Door with Jane Christison | MusicWithASmile.com

Children’s Entertainment

Jane is also known as children’s musician, Janie Next Door®. She has developed a whole menu of live musical programs for kids, using an instrument they don’t get to see very often—an accordion. 

Check out kid-approved fun, the repertoire of catchy tunes, and more details about Janie Next Door.

JND-Kids-Fun

Photo credit: Pam Elliott

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LEARNING GUIDE

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