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Every child LOVES Music Together^®!

During the early years, it is extremely important that parents and caregivers be the ones who create a nurturing environment. Children are biologically "wired" to respond most to those with whom they have close bonds. Music Together classes help you build that bond.

WHAT DOES MUSIC TOGETHER OFFER MY FAMILY?

--The Music Together curriculum will expand your musical repetoire. Each semester you will receive a new song collection on CD and a corresponding songbook. The music material balances various tonalities, meters, and cultural styles, exposing your child to a wide diversity of musical elements.

--Music Together classes will be a source of ideas on how you can bring music into everyday life in spontaneous, fun and musically expanding ways for your child. You will find that your creative process is stimulated as you discover ever new musical ways to connect and play with your child.

--You will learn about how your child learns and grows musically. You will better understand the process by which your child can, given a musically stimulating environment and an enthusiastic role model (YOU), attain Basic Music Competence in the first few years of life!

Best of all, it's FUN!

	Some ' HEY YA NA' fun! Keeping the beat on our own laps is one thing, but alternating between slapping our own knees and those of our neighbors, has us rolling in laughter! Let's not mention the double-time section where we go twice as fast. Good Music, Good Friends, Good Fun!
	'WEDDING DANCE' Circle dances are a great way to build a sense of community in class! Here we are playing jingle bells, stepping on macro and micro beats, and stomping on the accented beats. Add a little grapevine and off we go.
	'WEDDING DANCE' - 2 In to the center and shake those bells high! Out again and spin, spin, spin.
	YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ROLE MODEL and TEACHER FOR YOUR CHILD! Ella is closely observing her mother. Children are biologically "wired" to respond most to the model of those persons with whom they have a bond of attachment. A parent's most effective role is to participate and enjoy class, even though their child might choose to sit back and observe. Ella is taking in information, which she will act on later at home.
	'CH.......CH.......CH...CH...CH...CH...CH.CH.CH.CH.CH.CH.CH.CH.....LET'S GET THIS TRAIN GOING....' Tommy and Joey are happy little engineers as they sing "Toot Toot, Chugga Choo Choo Choo". The train winds around the room moving to macro and micro beats, sometimes even jumping as it chugs along. Egg shakers provide a natural accompaniment for this type of play and are easily held by even the youngest children.
	'TRICKS WITH STICKS' Playing with sticks allows us to experience the various beat structures that are in music along with unilateral, bilateral, and crosslateral movements. It is a time of creative play as the children make up new and fun ways to use their sticks, such as, 'peeling potatoes', playing a violin, cross-country skiing, 'windshield wipers', etc. Drumming on the floor and singing the resting tone on "La...." is the classic finish to this activity.
	Did you know that ALL INSECTS ARE MUSICAL? Well in Music Together Land they are! Watch them wiggle their antennae on macro and micro beats and listen to them buzz a tune.
	DYNABAND PLAY The whole class is grooving to the beat.
	KAYLA and MOM HAVE SOME 'SPECIAL MOVES'.
	'COOL MAN, COOL!' Leah and her mom pluck a "string bass" to a funky jazz number.
	PLAYING 'FREEZE DANCE' on THIS 'N THAT "Dance with me like this,___ Dance with me like that,___" "Move your hips like this,___ Move your hips like that,___"
	RESONATOR BELLS These instruments are a favorite. They are primarily "tonal" and are all tuned to "D" and "A", the Tonic and Dominant, or "Do" and "Sol" for you singers. They have a soft resonant quality that is very appealing to young children and can be played in varying rhythm patterns. They are especially well suited for rounds and layered part-singing.
	'LOOK MOM, NO HANDS!' Tommy tries out a new method of playing.
	TEAM WORK! Joey's mom keeps a strong visual beat with her right hand while Joey improvises to his heart's content. Parent role-modeling AND team work are a major part of Music Together classes. Children may not be able to see their own parent, but they can observe the parents across the circle and correlate the visual beat they see with the music they hear.
	SCARF PLAY Scarves are a wonderful way to express our feelings and respond to the music we hear.
	PEEK-A-BOO! Emma bounces her scarf to the beat while her mother peeks from behind.
	'BUTTERFLY SONG' Kayla and mom flit and flutter to the triple meter beat, soaring on the wind.
	'MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER, MAKE ME A MATCH......' Wait! This is Music Together, not "Fiddler on the Roof". Or does it matter? Children learn through play, and Jessica and mom are having a great moment playing in their own little world together. Children can learn music facts from a teacher, but their DISPOSITION toward music is learned from their parents.
	KONNER SHARES A MOVEMENT MOMENT WITH HIS MOTHER He intently watches her face to read her reaction to the activity.
	INSTRUMENTAL PLAY-ALONG The instrumental jam session is an opportunity for both parents and children to express their unique musicality. Any safe behavior is acceptable. Parents are invited to play freely with as much creativity (including complex rhythms) as they choose for their own enjoyment. Children learn a great deal from role-modeling as parents "lose themselves in the music" and jam with the other adults in class.
	CHILDREN LEARN THROUGH PLAY! Halli and Mom experiment with different types of instruments and sounds. Exploration is a major part of learning in Music Together classes. Children often find new and unique ways to make music as they mix and match the various instrument parts.
	DUPLE METER OR TRIPLE METER? "We don't care as long as we can play, play, play. Marches, polkas, waltzes, jigs, swing, jazz, classical....we love them all!"
	ANNABELLE SINGING and 'MAKING BEAUTIFUL MUSIC'
	If PLAYING ONE DRUM MAKES 'BEAUTIFUL MUSIC', WHAT KIND OF MUSIC CAN I MAKE with ALL OF THESE? Answer: SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS.....MUSIC!
	A MUSICAL COMMUNITY Children benefit greatly from group music-making. They teach and learn from each other.
	I played it 'MY WAY' Frank Sinatra has nothing up on these young muscicians. In a Music Together Class everyone can "play it their way". The play-along is a time for everyone to exercise free musical choice, in both the instrument they play and how they play it--a true jam session.
	MOM'S LAP - THE PERFECT SETTING FOR SOME SERIOUS MUSIC MAKING! Yousif's triangle solo is being accompanied by Mom on a rhythmic egg shaker. This duo is enjoying a little bonding while they play their duet.
	A FAMILY AFFAIR Tyler jams with Mom and Nanny.
	RESTING TONE PLAY Instrument clean up is made easier by singing the resting tone. Nonverbal communication and musical cues are an important part of the Music Together experience. Singing "BUMMMM" makes putting instruments in the bag a fun game and enhances tonal development.
	TIME to CUDDLE! Ryan snuggles up on Mom's lap after putting his instrument away and gets ready for her to sing him a lullaby.
	LULLABY TIME A nightly lullaby is the perfect way to end even the most harried day with gentleness and love and it is also the perfect way to UNWIND after the Instrumental Jam Session in class. The lullaby has great power to strengthen the bond between parent and child. Your voice is an important and comforting sound in your child's world.
	'GOODBYE, SO LONG, FAREWELL my friends,' ........"we'll see you soon again, and then we'll make MUSIC TOGETHER again." "And how 'bout a HUG for your mom or dad......And a hug or a handshake for a FRIEND and then how bout one just for yourself, too?"