What is Music Together®?
The Music Together® mission:
To provide the highest quality music and movement experiences to as many young children as possible, and to involve their parents and other adult caregivers, including early childhood professionals.
The Music Together® philosophy:
- All children are musical.
- Therefore, all children can achieve basic music competence, which we have defined as the ability to sing in tune and move with accurate rhythm.
- The participation and modeling of parents and caregivers, regardless of their musical ability, is essential to a child’s musical growth.
- This growth is best achieved in a playful, developmentally appropriate, non-performance-oriented learning environment that is musically rich yet immediately accessible to the child’s and the adult’s participation.
Our classes
Each class is a community of children with their families and teachers sharing songs, instrument play, rhythm chants and movement activities in relaxed, playful settings. Music is learned through appropriate activities that support and respect the unique learning styles of very young children. Parents and caregivers contribute to the enrichment of their child’s music environment. Families receive a new song collection every semester, featuring great arrangements of original and traditional songs in a wide variety of styles.
Our music is…
- Fun and engaging
- Multicultural, including folk songs and styles from around the world
- Varied and rich, with many meters and tonalities
- Pitched in the perfect range for children’s voices
- Made up of folk songs, international music, silly songs, rock songs, car songs, train songs, gospel, jazz, elements of modern classical music, rhythmic chants and more
- Research-based, and classroom- and family-tested
- Written for family fun as well as classroom use
- Appealing to babies through adults
Frequently asked questions.
What can I expect from class?
Music Together Family Class is designed for children up to age five. At Music Together, we believe that music ability is as much a basic life skill as walking and talking, and that all children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat and participate with pleasure and confidence in the music of their culture. Music Together classes nurture each child’s natural enthusiasm for music and movement as they sing, dance, chant and play instruments in an informal setting that will enrich their musical environment and guide them toward a lifetime of music-making enjoyment.
What should I expect of my child?
- Some children jump right in and actively participate in all the activities.
- Some children choose (wisely) to observe more often than to participate actively in class. They’re taking in information, which they will act on later at home.
- Most children become accustomed to the class routine and their classmates by the fifth or sixth week. At this point, their participation is likely to increase.
- Children are assimilating important music information, whether or not they’re outwardly participating. This means it may be important to play the CD at home or sing the songs yourself, even if your child seems to be unaware or uninterested, especially during the first few weeks of class.
Remember that you’re the most important model and teacher for your child. Your most effective role is to participate and enjoy the class yourself, even though your child might choose to sit back and observe. If you’re enjoying yourself, your child will soon wish to share that enjoyment with you.
What should I expect of myself?
Some parents can be disconcerted by the concept of being their child’s most important role model when it comes to music. You may feel that you’re not particularly musical; perhaps you even describe yourself as being “tone deaf.” You may be great at singing, but feel unsure of yourself when dancing or trying to keep a steady beat. Whatever the level of your technical skill, remember the most important things you can model for your child are simply enjoyment, interest and the desire to participate in music activities. By participating with your child, you can begin to rediscover within yourself the natural human musicality that is everyone’s birthright.
Why aren’t there separate classes for different age groups?
Music Together pioneered the development of the mixed-age approach in early childhood music. In each class we strive to create an environment where the whole family can enjoy music and nurture skills at the level right for each child. Mixed-age classes also provide a rich learning environment because children of different ages thrive when they interact with each other: the babies are often fascinated by the older children, and the “big” kids (3- and 4-year-olds) enjoy helping and sharing with the little ones. This approach is based on research from music education, early childhood development and family relationships, as well as our 20 years of experience in the field.
Are these classes appropriate for my child with special needs?
Music Together is very welcoming to children with special needs, and is recommended by speech and physical therapists for fostering language, behavioral and motor skill development in a creative and enjoyable format. A child’s delight in music transcends many life circumstances, making Music Together a perfect environment for children with special needs, and those who are typically developing, to participate side by side. Siblings, cousins, classmates and friends make music and move together—this is what makes Music Together great! Contact Katie at [email protected] to inquire about your family’s options.