Local Musician Karen K Brings Her Jitterbugs to Carroll Park

Kids in the neighborhood, (and parents!) get ready for a good time.

Karen K and the Jitterbugs, a local fav for a couple of years now, for the second to last this season.

Karen Kalafatas, a Carroll Gardens resident, has been performing with the Jitterbugs since 2009, but became a staple in the community years before that.

"I started classes first, and that took off so quickly. I knew I was onto something," she said.

Kalafatas' "retro" music class for kids ranging from three months to four years of age and their parents and caregivers was so popular and fun for all involved, she knew she needed to take the show to the stage.

The band is an extension of the Jitterbugs classes, she explained.

Kalafatas said the decision to go into kids music just came naturally.

"I definitely knew I wanted to work with kids, but like a lot of moms and parents with kids, I thought, 'How can I make a living and still spend time with my child?'"

She always wanted to teach, so she got certified and began hosting the Jitterbugs classes.

One of her first students, Ada Donnelly, 6, says she loves the classes and Kalafatas.

"She’s always cheerful and she writes good songs that are pretty to hear," said Donnelly.

For Donnelly's mother Lynn Melnick, the classes were a great way to introduce her kids to music. Her youngest daughter, Stella, 2, is currently taking Jitterbugs classes.

"Music is good for kids just as music is good for grown-ups, it moves us in so many ways, in all different emotional directions," she said.

Including parents in the Jitterbugs classes helps set Kalafatas' operation apart.

"There's no pressure on the parents," she said. "I want to remind parents how much we really love music."

The Jitterbugs play originals, classic kids songs like "Free to be You and Me" as well as Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and early rock and roll songs.

"There's something so wonderful about returning to those roots, and re-introducing those songs to parents," she said.

Many kids who have taken the Jitterbugs classes will recognize the music in the concerts, explained Kalafatas. And in true Jitterbugs style, kids and parents alike are welcome to join in.

"We love to incorporate the audience," she said.

Indeed, collaboration is key to the whole Jitterbugs ethos. When the record, "Pancakes for Dinner," was recorded, Kalafatas invited the kids in her class to come and sing on the album. 25 children showed up.

"It was really wonderful having them participate," she said.

Ada Donnelly was there.

"She was thrilled, and so proud of herself," said Melnick, her mother.

Keeping the experience light is what's important for Kalafatas.

"We bring an element of fun, that's the purpose of Jitterbugs," she said. "We don't take ourselves too seriously."

But for Ada Donnelly, the Jitterbugs experience is meaningful and life-changing.

"I never want to stop singing," she said.

Karen K and the Jitterbugs perform at Carroll Park on Wednesday at 4 p.m. They will also open for Elizabeth Mitchell at the Super Sonic Kindie Music Festival, held at the Urban Meadow, President and Van Brunt streets, on September 24. If you're interested in classes, visit the website. Payment is available on a sliding scale.