Did you know that all children are musical?
Have you ever wondered what you can do to nurture the musical growth of your child, regardless of your own musical ability?
Experience Marsha's Music Together and find out how important--and how fun--your role can be!
Music Together® classes build on your child's natural enthusiasm for music and movement. We immerse your child in a musically rich environment where she or he will grow from primary music development to basic music competence, which means being able to sing in tune and keep a beat. In this process children develop an understanding of the language of music, and, as they grow older, are able to continue the joy and learning connected to making music in more formal areas like private instruction, school choirs/bands/orchestras, and social music activities.
To see a Music Together class in action, click here.
Twelve children (newborns, toddlers, preschoolers) and their parents or caregivers meet for 45 minutes each week for 10 weeks to experience new songs, chants, small and large motor movement activities, and instrumental jam sessions. Adults and children sit in a circle and participate together singing, playing, dancing, creating, and having fun! Children have many opportunities to play and experiment by trying different instruments, making up rhythm patterns, singing, and making up new words or movements.
Every child is free to participate as they choose and respond according to their developmental level in class. Some children will watch and study everything, absorbing the musically rich environment, while others will sing and dance, enjoying the informal, relaxed atmosphere. The songbook and two CDs they take home reinforce the class experience and stimulate musical moments at home, too.
Each class has rituals that the children need and enjoy — the hello song, an instrumental play-along, a lullaby and the goodbye song — as well as eight to ten varying experiences involving unusual meters and tonalities, sometimes using props like scarves or a parachute.
All children are musical and regardless of your background in music, you can give your child a love of music. A parent or caretaker's enjoyment is the single most important factor in fostering musical development in your child, AND adult participation is easy and fun!
This program is based on the belief that music is a basic skill of life like walking and talking, and that all children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with confidence and pleasure. Classes emphasize actual musical experiences instead of concepts about music, and introduce children to the pleasures of making music rather than passively listening to it from tapes, CDs, or television. And, just as children learn to talk by having adults that love them talk to them, they also learn to sing and make music from their parents and caregivers sharing with them. This is why adult participation is integral to Music Together.
All classes are mixed ages from birth to five. Activities focus on the adult/child interaction with the adults modeling, not instructing, so that everyone can participate at their own level and interest. The older children enjoy and benefit from being leaders and interacting with the younger children. And, in the case of siblings, music becomes an activity they can share together at home even when there is a big age difference. Adults will find that, regardless of their musical abilities or background, the music and activities are fun and there is no pressure because the process is what is important!
Early childhood educators recommend mixed-age groupings for social development as well, and the mixture of adults and children creates a family-style gathering where music making is shared through participation rather than performance. This environment facilitates children learning through play and immersion, and parents learn to recognize different stages of musical development and to foster their children's growth. There are nine different song collections, which means a family could take classes for three years without repeating a collection.
New families receive a parent guidebook, which discusses the philosophy behind Music Together in more detail, and describes various ways in which the parents or caregivers can enhance their child's musical experiences. There is also a parent education night each semester for more formal discussion about what goes on in class and at home.
To learn more about the history of Music Together, click here.
To see Music Together families around the world singing the "Hello Song" at home, click here.