Q & A Music Together^® Classes


Q - What happens in class?
A community of families share songs, instrument play, rhythm chants, and movement activities in a relaxed, playful, non-performance-oriented setting.

Q - Why do you only offer mixed age classes?
Early childhood educators recommend mixed-age grouping as a better learning environment. This type of setting encourages adult-child interaction and helps students learn from one another.

It's also helpful to understand that children of the same age are not necessarily in the same stage of musical development, so the best music educators individualize instruction and teach many different levels of complexity at once while respecting the unique learning styles of each child.

Q - Are the same songs used every semester?
No. The Music Together curriculum offers a new song collection each semester for three years, featuring great arrangements of original and traditional songs in a wide variety of tonalities, meters, and cultural styles.

Q - Do you use instruments in the music and movement classes?
We use some simple percussion instruments that are easy for young children to play or use for exploration.

Many of the activities, however, involve movement, which can best be done with scarves, beanbags, or a parachute.

Q - I’m not musical. Can I really help my child develop musically?
Yes!! Parents are a child’s most important teachers. Research shows that children learn their disposition toward music from their primary caregiver. A parent who has difficultly singing in tune can still teach his or her child that music is fun and important by modeling enthusiastic participation.

Furthermore, experiencing music in our classes, at live concerts, and on recordings will teach a child to discriminate accurate pitch and rhythm, so the “non-musical” parent can relax about these things.

Q - Do infants really benefit from music classes?
Yes!! Even though your infant may appear passive in class, he or she will be actively absorbing the language of music. Research has shown that the most important developmental years are between birth and 18 months.

In addition, your participation in class along with information from the Parent’s Guide, Music Together newsletters, and parental education opportunities will help you understand how you can best help develop your child’s musical potential.

Infants through 8 months are welcome to join our classes without charge when attending with an older sibling.

Q - How is your program different from other music and movement programs?
All early childhood programs provide a wonderful service to families who are interested in enjoying community music experiences with very young children. Many also emphasize a playful approach similar to Music Moves.

Our program has chosen to incorporate the Music Together curriculum for the following reasons:

The Music Together curriculum is research based and unique in that it emphasizes a rich, musical vocabulary using songs and chants that are attractive and appealing to both children and their parents.

The Music Together philosophy focuses on musical development rather than non-musical goals.

The Music Together philosophy encourages mixed ages, a setting that we believe has many advantages.

The Music Together philosophy supports an informal, non-performance oriented lesson. We encourage children by using their spontaneous responses and provide many opportunities for them to move around in class.

The Music Together curriculum offers flexibility that allows us to develop lesson plans that work and to incorporate some of our own songs and chants.

Music Together teachers receive quality training and excellent support from the national center. Many Music Together teachers are experts in theater, dance, early-childhood education or parenting, as well as music.

Q - What if my child doesn’t want to participate in the class activities or wanders around the room?
We expect children to behave like children, which means they sometimes wander, and don’t always want to participate. Some are observers by nature. This is very normal and not related to any musical interest or talent.

An active child is not a problem in the classroom unless he or she is hurting other people ore preventing them from being able to participate and learn.

Children who are either wandering or just observing absorb much more information than parents might realize. Many report that their children prefer to experiment with the sounds at home or in the car.

Q - What should I do if my child misbehaves in class?
It is helpful when parents manage discipline issues quickly and quietly. Use a look or gesture if possible. The less the adults in class talk, the better it is for the rest of the families.

In a situation that involves excessive noise, step out of the classroom until the crisis is over. Feel free to come back when you are both ready.

Q - Do we need to purchase any materials or bring anything to class?
No. All songbooks and CDs are included in the tuition and are intended for home use.

 

Q - What happens if I need to miss a class?

Like most schools, we cannot refund tuition for classes missed during a session, even if those absences have been frequent. The orientation of our program is towards extending the class experience into the child’s life outside of class by means of parent education and supporting materials. Tuition includes these items and consequently is not “wasted”’ even if classes are missed. In addition, as a courtesy we provide for two make-up classes per semester per child when possible.

Q - Can siblings, friends, or grandparents attend class?

Q - Will classes be cancelled because of weather?

Q - Do you offer demonstration classes?