About - The Singing Walrus

About

Mission Statement:

We believe in the power of music and imagination in education, not only as a tool for learning, but also for the overall development of children's emotional, social, cultural, physical, and creative potential.

What made you start The Singing Walrus?

We believe that music is an incredibly important part of a child's life. There is something inherent to the human experience that draws us to music, and this is no less true for children than adults.

It can be an amazing tool for expression and emotional development, particularly for young minds. And as we're discovering through the advances of science, music can be a very effective tool for learning. This is why we decided to start The Singing Walrus.

Our goal is to create engaging, fun songs for children that incorporate the topics that they are learning in school. We feel that our songs are not only a great way to help learn simple subjects, but also to provide children with a joyful experience.

History of The Singing Walrus

The Singing Walrus was founded in 2011 by Ja-Hae Oh and Josh Grimley, a married couple who worked as English teachers in South Korea for nearly 3 years. During their stay in Korea, they had the opportunity to compose and produce a series of 12 educational songs for their school. After the success of this initial project, Josh and Ja-Hae decided to create a company that develops fun educational media. Now based in Vancouver, Canada, they have composed over 100 songs for schools and publishers around the world, while also creating their own brand of educational songs and videos for preschool and kindergarten kids.

In October of 2012, Josh and Ja-Hae officially launched "The Singing Walrus" YouTube channel, publishing their very first music video "Counting Numbers 1-10". As of February of 2022, the channel has now 1.8 million subscribers from all over the world.

Meet Josh

Hi, I'm Josh, and I am a co-founder of The Singing Walrus. While doing the daily organizational duties of a business owner, I compose music, create animation and storyboards, and handle the technical side of the music production. Originally from Chicago, USA, I have been playing guitar and writing music for over 20 years. In 2004, I completed a one-year diploma in Audio Engineering and Music Production at Pacific Audio Visual Institute (PAVI) in Vancouver, Canada. Between 2008 and 2011, I also spent 2 1/2 years in South Korea as an English teacher. This experience not only broadened my cultural horizon, but also made me see the positive impact music can have on children's lives, from both an educational and emotional standpoint. As a child there were songs that I truly enjoyed and that I still remember today. Now, as an adult, I hope to pass this joy on to the next generation with our own music.

Hello, my name is Ja-Hae, and as a co-founder of The Singing Walrus, I manage the research, marketing, and workflow of the company. As I am passionate about all things creative, my contributions for The Singing Walrus are diverse: music composition, character development, storyboarding, writing, animation, voice overs, and singing. I studied German and English Literature and Linguistics and Education at Bonn University, Germany, and have since worked as a language instructor in many different countries, such as Germany, Spain, Korea, and Canada. Growing up between two cultures (Korean and German), moving to Canada, and experiencing lots of other cultures along the way, I have always found my true anchor in music. During my years as a teacher, I saw the powerful impact of music in the classroom, and I am grateful for the opportunity to create the same impact with our own music.

Meet Ja-Hae