Meet Laura Warner - Director/Teacher

Music for Aardvarks, San Francisco

Laura began her performing career in her early teens as an apprentice in the contemporary ballet company, David Taylor Dance Theater. She eventually found musical theater and a love for singing, and by the time she turned 18, she was eligible for the stage actor’s union. So she promptly moved to NYC and hardly worked in the theater again.In the late 90’s she co-founded Notario Dance Company, and it was during one of their rehearsals at a gym in Williamsburg where she first encountered Music for Aardvarks. Audra Rox was leading a class, and afterwards the two got chatting about guitars and kids. Then Laura’s life changed forever when Audra said, gesturing toward the little ones, “So, do you think you’d want to try doing this?”

By January 2001, Laura was teaching Aardvark classes in the East Village with the head Aardvark himself, David Weinstone. Here’s what one mom in her class had to say about Laura: "Josie and I lucked out with Laura, our instructor. She looks like a rock star with her tattoos, bottle-blond hair and low-slung cords, but she is amazing with kids and has a deliciously smoky, husky voice." (Marjorie Ingall, The Jewish Daily Forward, Feb 2003)

During this time, Laura also founded and fronted the band Go To Town. They had the good fortune of recording with and being mentored by The Strokes’ guru, JP Bowersock. They had rock and roll hair, and very cool shoes. Despite the buzz, the band never made it big, but Laura kept rocking those NYC toddlers in the mornings on Lafayette St. It wasn’t what she thought being a “professional musician” would look like, but it sure was fun! And how cool to get so many hugs and kisses from adorable little ones!?!

In 2007, Laura took a break from Aardvarks to attend Columbia University’s School of General Studies, and in 2009, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Economics. After three years with Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, both in NYC and SF, a year living in Mexico and traveling the world, and a short stint back in NYC working as a trader at JP Morgan Securities, Laura realized the best thing she’d ever done in her rich and varied life was teaching Aardvarks. So she quit her job at JPM and moved back to SF to start the Bay Area faction of Music for Aardvarks.

And she couldn’t be happier.

Laura is humbled and inspired by the talent of her Music for SF co-teachers. She would also like to thank the amazing, trail-blazing families who joined her for this first semester in San Fran. Rock on!

Fun facts:

• Laura rides a motorcycle. She once did a several week motorcycle trip with her husband through northern India. She was on the back of the bike for that trip, though. Those roads are too scary for her to ride with her eyes open!
• When Laura was performing in musicals, she had a roommate (who was also in shows with her) who has gone on to be a 5 time Academy Award nominated actress.
• Laura is a 200 hour registered yoga teacher, and knows the entire 40 verses of the Hanuman Chaleesa.
• Laura loves to surf. She started surfing when she was well into her 30s, though, so she’s not very good.
• In class, Laura is known for changing NYC-specific Aardvark lyrics into SF-specific ones. She’s also rearranged some kid classics into more ‘rocking’ or rhythmically complex songs.
• She’s also known for her breakdance-style moves during the dance section of class. Butt spins, headstands, arm balances…
• One dream of Laura’s is to someday be able to sing harmony by ear, on the fly, without having to painstakingly learn each note.

Call 415-766-7652 or visit the site for more info.