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September 18, 2025 38 mins

What if supporting your child’s Spanish and cultural roots was as simple (and fun) as putting on a favorite song? In this uplifting episode, I sit down with Maddie Welch, Boricua bilingual educator and founder of Canta y Baila Conmigo. Together, we explore how music (not just passive listening), but singing, moving, and connecting, can be a game-changer for language development, memory, and heart-felt family connection.

Whether you’re a musical mami or can barely carry a tune, you’ll leave inspired to integrate music into your daily routines, discover heritage songs, and maybe even lead bilingual music classes in your community!


Podcast Promos:

Check out Fiesta musical - En Casa by going to ⁠www.cybconline.com⁠. Use our special promo code MILEGASI and you will get 10% off the course at checkout.

JOIN THE CONFIDENT BILINGUAL PARENTING COURSE WAITLIST AND GET YOUR FREE FAMILY LANGUAGE CONVERSATION QUESTIONNAIRE! 


Timestamps & Highlights


02:07 – Maddie’s Bilingual Upbringing & Musical Roots

07:40 – Music, Memory, and the Developing Brain

10:59 – Cultural Belonging Through Song

14:10 – What is Canta y Baila Conmigo?

20:22 – Bringing Canta y Baila Conmigo to Your Community

25:25 – Easy, Everyday Ways to Use Music at Home

27:25 – How to Connect With Maddie & Find a Class

29:52 – Fast Round: Maddie’s Latinx Legacy, Traditions & Bilingual Dreams


  • Quick Bilingual Parenting Takeaways:


    • Making music together (not just listening!) supercharges language and cultural learning.

    • Real songs from your own (or your partner’s) heritage transmit culture and create belonging.

    • It’s not about being “musical,” it’s about presence and enthusiasm. Your child’s favorite singer is you!

    • Music can take many forms in daily life: singing lullabies, drumming on Tupperware, spontaneous dance parties, just get moving and connecting.

    • Programs like Canta y Baila Conmigo empower both kids and bilingual moms to engage, build community, and even start their own businesses!


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    Resources Mentioned in The Podcast:

    How You Can Support & Engage

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    Final Thoughts

    Music is more than entertainment, it’s a bridge to language, memory, and our roots. Don’t aim for perfection aim for connection. Through song, rhythm, and shared movement, you create a legacy your abuela would be proud of.

    Keep singing, keep connecting, and pass on your heritage one song at a time.

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