By Crissy Pascual

As music teachers, Julia Cramer and Tyler Johnson have goals for their students. The most obvious is that their students learn to play an instrument. But in their hearts is a bigger goal for Petaluma: they want to foster a youth music scene here. To that end, these professional musicians have been hosting free open mic nights for kids since February at Art Play Café.

"We are just trying to see if a community can grow out of it," said Cramer, who teaches piano and vocals. "We hope that they find their people there."

Every first Friday of the month, Cramer and Johnson drag their keyboard, guitar, microphones, and speakers to Art Play Café at 146 Kentucky St., and by 4:30 p.m., the kids start strolling in and signing up to sing or play a song in front of the crowd. The stage is open to musicians ages 0 to 18 ("yes, really – toddlers welcome," they say). Budding virtuosos often play their own instruments, but Cramer and Johnson are there to accompany if needed.

"They get real performance lessons that I don't teach them," Johnson said. "And it's better than social media because it's in person and they can experience the joy in real time."

After years of holding recitals for their music students, the couple realized they wanted to help host something more casual. Johnson compares open mic performances to a comedian trying out jokes on an audience.

"They can just keep trying something and maybe be less nervous next time. It feels like a gentle intro for them becoming 'gigging' musicians," he said. Johnson and Cramer say they just wanted a place where kids can hang out with their friends and perform for fun ... and sure, they admit, they wouldn't mind if they end up nurturing a bunch of little Taylor Swifts.