Lavender Blues
Curt Saunders
If you parent a baby or toddler in Central Brooklyn, you might already be familiar with the music and movement class Lavender Blues. Designed for ages 0 to 3, the early education sessions are known for their energetic blend of singing, dancing and toy instruments (plus a giant parachute and bubbles), joyfully led by Alex Branson. While Alex — who performs under the names “Lady B” or “Miss Alex” — leads her classes with charisma and command, she claims to be shy.
“If I was walking down the street and met Jay-Z, I might not know what to say,” the Brooklyn native admits. “But if Jay-Z walked into my baby music class with Rumi and Sir, I would be on it!”
Alex, 41, has built up a loving community of families (and bunnies, as she refers to little ones) in Brooklyn over the past nine years. But the seeds for Lavender Blues were planted in London, where she worked as a nanny for nearly a decade during her “fancy-free” 20s. “I was a nanny for really wealthy families, and in those communities, the foundation that babies get from early enrichment programs was common knowledge,” Alex says.
“In other spaces, I found that many families didn’t know that a child under 3 could benefit so much from them. So I always thought that, when I got back to the States, I would start my own music enrichment program, and it would be super inclusive. For all the people, not just some of the people.” In 2012 she started Lavender Blues and has been singing to Brooklyn babies ever since.
Curt Saunders
Curt Saunders
Curt Saunders
“I want my place to be a community for new parents.”
Curt Saunders
Curt Saunders
Curt Saunders
Curt Saunders
After years of running Lavender Blues from different locations — including other Black-owned businesses, such as The Katmint preschool, the now closed children’s play space Tot Town, and even the bar Ode to Babel — Alex knew it was time to find her own spot for the music program.
“I was becoming really successful at these other businesses, and they just didn't have the room for my growth,” she says. A 2020 GoFundMe campaign raised $10,000 from the community in five weeks, allowing her to set up shop in Bed-Stuy this year. She decked out her studio with wooden shelves of stuffed animals and baby books, arranged plenty of padded floor space to form circles for class, and, of course, painted the building lavender and blue (her favorite colors).
“On Feb 1st we opened,” Alex says of those carefree pre-COVID days. “It was slammin’. Everybody loved it. Then, on March 13th, I had to close the doors.”
For a year, Alex problem-solved around the coronavirus with live digital classes and outdoor sessions at nearby Jesse Owens Playground once the weather broke. Along with her wife, Toni Branson (founder of the genderless streetwear brand Style is Freedom), she also opened a thrift store in the space, selling vintage clothes updated with hand-embroidered designs by Toni. (Check out their one-of-a-kind fashions at Sifem Broidery.)
While these pivots are still ongoing, this week Alex reopened her air-conditioned studio, for now just to small groups of her youngest “bunnies,” ages 18 months and younger. “I want my place to be a community for new parents, which can be a lonely experience,” she says. “Especially for families of color and gay families who may feel like they don’t have a space, I want to be that support for them.”
Although she uses Lavender Blues to help babies and toddlers develop an understanding of rhythm, build awareness of their bodies, and strengthen social skills, Alex’s curriculum is all about having fun.
“There are no rules for babies,” she says, explaining that her students are free to wander around and do their thing. “Once you’re three, there are so many rules for you. Sit at your desk. Pay attention. But when I’m hosting, I find that if the grownups are following me, the babies naturally fall in.”
While our family enjoys Lavender Blues at Jesse Owens Playground, Alex has created multiple ways to connect folks to the Lady B experience. In addition to outdoor and indoor music classes, plus live digital sessions, she produces and stars in her Lavender Blues TV channel on YouTube; offers bonus content (live storytime, exclusive videos and more) for members of her Patreon; and has an album, “The Remixes: A Baby Hip-Hop Album,” of super catchy kids songs available on Spotify.
On August 4, you can also catch her in concert at Grand Army Plaza with the Brooklyn Museum. “I want Lavender Blues to be a household name,” Alex says confidently. “I want everybody to start their life with me.”
175 Malcolm X Blvd, Brooklyn, 929-400-1436, Lavender Blues
