In Music Together classes, six to twelve children ages birth through kindergarten and their parents or caregivers meet for 45 minutes each week for ten weeks to experience songs, rhythmic rhymes, movement activities, and instrumental play time. The Music Together teacher leads the class in songs and chants featured in the song collection for the current semester. The songs are presented through a variety of musical activities which incorporate fun, playful, interactive ways to focus on tonal and rhythmic elements of music, free expressive dance, small and large movement, prop play, and opportunities for improvisation by children as well as parents. Music Together focuses on the family unit and values many different types musical involvement in class, rather than performance.
Children and adults are encouraged to participate, regardless of musical skill, talent, or training. Children may participate as they choose and are given the freedom to respond according to their developmental level. Some children will simply study the experience as they absorb the environment. Others will sing and dance freely. Parents discover what a powerful role model the are to their children, just by having fun with music themselves. Families continue their musical experiences outside of class with a professionally recorded CD and cassette of the semester's songs, along with a beautifully illustrated songbook.
Parent education in class will increase your understanding of the relevance of class activities to childhood music development. Individual assessment of your child's musical stage can be offered by the teacher.
Classes are mixed ages from birth through kindergarten. Activities focus of adult/child interaction rather than child/child, so children of different ages can enjoy classes together. Please note that infants 8 months and younger attend free with a registered sibling. There are nine different song collections which rotate one per semester over a three year period.
Did you know that all children are musical?
Music Together® classes build on the young child’s natural enthusiasm for music and movement. Our informal, developmentally appropriate and well-researched curriculum encourages the musical growth of your child and shows you how important – and how much fun - your participation can be in this process.
Song Collections
Music Together Song Collections contain fun, simple, yet musically interesting songs, rhythm patterns, and “play-alongs” both traditional and original that appeal to adults as well as children. There are currently nine different song collections which rotate over three years. The quality digital recordings include tonal and rhythm patterns and a rich variety of tonalities and meters to stimulate the young child’s music development. Each collection features its own songbook with notes on early childhood music development, plus many home activity and movement suggestions. Songbooks also have illustrations and color graphics on every page, as well as music, chord symbols, percussion accompaniment ideas, and a piano arrangement of each recording’s instrumental “play-along.” These are a powerful reinforcement of classroom experience and an aid for family involvement at home.
Important Notes
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Informal Instruction: Children may participate as they choose and are given the freedom to respond according to their developmental level. The class experience, reinforced by listening to the CD and parent involvement, stimulates learning at home through play.
- Mixed Ages: Classes are mixed ages from birth through kindergarten. A child’s music development benefits greatly from early exposure as an infant. Three to five year olds benefit by having the opportunity to be leaders in the mixed-age classroom. Activities focus on adult/child interaction rather that child/child, so children of different ages (such as siblings) can enjoy classes together. Please note that infants 8 months and under attend free with a registered sibling.
- Music Making: Music Together classes are based on the belief that music 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 confidence and pleasure in the music of our culture, provided that their early environment supports such learning. By emphasizing actual musical experiences rather than concepts about music, we introduce children to the pleasure of making music instead of passively receiving it from CDs or television. Integral to our program is the idea that young children respond best to music when surrounded by those with whom they have a close bond. Consequently, the active participation of parents and caregivers is an essential part of the rich musical environment we create.
Music Together art and logo design ©1992-2002 Music Together LLC. Music Together was developed by the Center for Music and Young Children, Princeton, NJ. Music Toogether, CMYC, and Center for Music and Young Children are registered trademarks of Music Together LLC. For more Music Together locations: www.musictogether.com • 1-800-728-2692
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