On a wooded trail in Evergreen, Elisabeth Kernroos enjoys taking walks with her grandson Jackson strapped to her chest, gently humming the same melody on repeat.
“I heard how humming is good for kids — to regulate the nervous system — so every time I walked around with him, I would hum,” Kernroos said.
The first-time grandmother has been spending a few days a week caring for baby Jack since he was born last August, and says as they walk together, she often finds herself imagining what it must be like to witness the beauty of the world for the very first time.
“I was just interested through his fresh eyes, how he would see the world,” she said. “As a grandma, you have more distance from this whole life thing than as a parent, and it's just a miracle, the wonder of taking it all in.”
The melody she hums, inspired by birds, trees and quiet moments on the trail, has since become a full lullaby.
“He's such a sparkly personality, so I wanted to kind of reflect that to him,” she said.
Kernroos is the first participant in Lullaby Project Evergreen, a local version of a program launched by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute back in 2011.
Since the program’s inception, 4,000 songs have been written in more than 40 different languages through partner projects across the world.
“I still remember my mom singing me Baby Beluga,” said local program coordinator Spencer Smith. “It's just like a core memory. So, a personalized lullaby is super important. It’s giving a gift of music.”
The program aims to support maternal mental health, strengthen guardian-child bonding and celebrate early childhood development while welcoming every family regardless of musical experience or background.
The local version is run through the non-profit, Evergreen Music and Performing Arts, and pairs expectant parents, new parents and grandparents with professional musicians from the Evergreen Conservatory to write their own songs at no cost.
For teaching artist Anneke Dean, the process of songwriting often starts with something simple.
“I suggest parents or grandparents think about the experiences they’ve had with their kids or the experiences that they’re looking forward to having if they’re pregnant, and just the small things for inspiration,” she said.
Those small moments, like Kernroos taking a walk with Jack, ultimately become the foundation for the lullaby. In her case, Kernroos said she began with the melody she had been humming, then had help from Dean writing the lyrics, adding maracas and guitar.
The finished project opens with a simple scene: baby Jack looking at the birds in the trees.
Oh, how nice it is to hear them tweet.
Welcome, darling baby, to this world full of wonders you are about to learn, bringing us such happiness in life.
Be blessed in all your ways along this ride.
For Kernroos, the impact of the song is deeply personal. “It warms my heart and brings me more joy,” she said. “He's my first grandchild, and it's a special thing. It seems like we have a bond through this.”
Dean says the power of the project is also in its permanence.
“They will always carry that melody knowing it’s not just ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.’ It’s not just some melody that millions, if not billions, of kids have been sung to. This one was personalized,” she said.
This is the first year the Lullaby Project has been offered in Evergreen, and Smith says they’re still looking to grow.
Families can sign up to participate in the program through the end of this month by emailing [email protected]. The project will culminate in a concert where the lullabies will be performed live on June 13.
“It's a free concert, so we want it to be filled with families, filled with babies having a good time listening to the lullabies,” said Smith.
For Kernroos, the performance is secondary. She says what matters most is the song itself and the moment it captures: a memory with her grandson that’s now set to a melody he can carry with him for life.
“Maybe if he hears it later, he’ll know how much joy he brought to us just by being him,” she said.
