Crains New York: Two couples strike a chord with family music-class franchise

According to Crains New York, Alison Qualter Berna and Allison Schlanger knew from the beginning they wanted to build a brand that could be franchised across the country. Berna and Schlanger, along with their husbands, left their corporate jobs and went all-in to what first was an indoor playground, music and art class space called Apple Seeds in 2007. Two years later, and due to formidable capital requirements, they chose to franchise one piece of Apple Seeds, the music classes.

“We took our kids to every music class offered in NYC. After canvassing the landscape, we saw that there was an opportunity to build a program that used music as the vehicle to teach the critical aspects of early childhood development and learning (colors, shapes, numbers, animals, music from around the world) and allow the time and space for connections between children, as well as adults,” said Allison Schlanger. “We both loved our jobs (Allison at MTV and Alison at UNICEF) but we, along with our husbands, Bobby and Craig, felt a strong pull towards a new kind of career–one that made a difference in our community and would allow all of us to spend more time with our children. The idea to create the music class, songs for seeds, was born.”

The interactive music classes can be held anywhere from community centers to local churches, making it an affordable investment option for potential franchisees. The key step is hiring the right musicians.

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