The Team
Meet our Educators
Michelle Thompson
Owner & Educator
Michelle has been a lifelong resident of Cedar Falls, Iowa, residing here with her husband, two children, and beloved Sheepadoodle. She has been musical all her life - singing, dancing, figure skating, and playing the violin. She has a Master's degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Northern Iowa with an emphasis in Childhood Speech and Language Disorders.
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Michelle opened Little Light Studio in 2019 and she is licensed and accredited in all levels of Kindermusik. Her mission is to facilitate the development of the whole child through joyful interactions using music and movement, while also creating opportunities for building relationships between all participants (caregiver-child, child-child, and caregiver-caregiver).
Miss Lainey
Educator
Lainey is a 2024 graduate of Liberty University Online, where she majored in Commercial Music and Worship Studies. She recently opened her own private voice studio and volunteers at Prairie Lakes Church, leading worship and mentoring worship team members to use their God-given gifts.
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Lainey also has a special love for working with children and spends her time babysitting and nannying for families in the Cedar Valley. Combining her passion for music and her heart for children, Lainey is thrilled to be teaching at Little Light Studio where she is excited to continue to build relationships with families and help to develop children’s unique talents and abilities through music! Lainey earned her Kindermusik license and accreditation from Kindermusik University in the fall of 2024. She is accredited in all levels of Kindermusik.
Miss Amanda
Substitute
Amanda holds a degree in Music Education and makes her living as the Elementary General Music teacher at Hansen Elementary. She came to know Kindermusik as a parent and fell in love with the curriculum, later earning her Kindermusik teacher licensure. She finds great joy interacting with young students, their parents and grandparents - and loves being a Kindermusik substitute! Amanda lives in Waterloo with her husband Vince, their two daughters, Summer and Kathleen.
Fully Accredited Kindermusik Educators
Issued by Kindermusik International
​Earners of the Fully Accredited badge have demonstrated mastery of delivering high-quality music and movement classes to young children (ages 0-7) and their caregivers, and can now offer the Kindermusik® a cappella curricula in their studios or teaching spaces. These educators have a deep understanding of how and why music supports early whole-child development, and how to help caregivers effectively incorporate musical play into their daily routines to boost positive growth.
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We are proud to say that ALL of our Educators at Little Light Studio have completed the extensive training to earn this badge. Substitutes are either Fully Accredited or on their way to earning the accreditation.
