Is Music Together^® mostly for babies?

No!  Learning takes time! Your child’s brain will be learning the basics from birth through the first few years of life.

• Babies, infants, toddlers AND big kids are all making their way toward Basic Music Competence.  Start as a newborn, keep coming to music class until everything has come together!
• Learning to make sense of music will take about as long as it takes to learn English (somewhere between 3 and 5, 6, or 7)
• We develop RECEPTIVE understanding before we have EXPRESSIVE skills
• Our methods work for babies, infants toddlers AND big kids because ALL CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 5 will learn by watching and experimenting
• Most of what we do in class is designed to be beyond what the children can do.  (If they could do it all already, they wouldn’t need to come to class!) Children of different ages and stages of development will engage in a developmentally appropriate way.  We celebrate each child’s progress.

Is the music baby-ish music?

NO!- not at Music Together! Your child SHOULD be exposed to a rich variety of music: 

• just as we speak to our kids:
• using big words
• using all parts of speech
• to immerse the children in language

so we should immerse the children in music that they are not yet able to produce themselves

·       Our music consists of a well-rounded complement

• of tonalities and
• rhythms and
• world musics. 

·       The recordings highlight

• different instrumentations and
• often showcase interesting melodic layerings and
• rhythmic variations. 

Do I want my big kid in a music class with infants?

Yes! Children learn best in a MIXED AGE environment.

• Humans aren't generally born in litters and they learn from each other!
• Your child will watch and perhaps participate
• Your child might take a leadership role
• Your child might SHOW smaller kids how it’s done!
• Babies will be watching your child (as well as the grown-ups.) 
• Your child will alternate between being delighted by the babies and ignoring them.  That's what bigger kids do when they are with babies.  It's the natural order.
• The grown ups are modeling how to sing and dance and follow directions- your child is watching and maybe also modeling for the babies! Your child will alternate between being a baby him/herself and taking a leadership role.
• Rest assured, your child is learning.  There's a lot going on in class musically, and whether or not babies are there is probably weighing heavily on your mind, not your child's!

Is this a Mommy and Me Music class?  Or can I sit back and watch?

You've got to participate! Music Together is an “Adult and Me” activity where participation from the grown-ups is a must.

• Children learn best from their adults
• Grown ups sing and dance
• Children watch and experiment (but not necessarily in class!)
• Music Together is an INFORMAL learning environment where:
• For the CHILDREN, activities are FREELY CHOSEN
• in order for children to understand what is going on, they have to see YOU DOING IT!
• Music Together is a NON-PERFORMANCE oriented program:
• We don't make the children do anything!  But you have to copy the teacher :-) to model the behavior.  When your child does something musical or reaches a musical milestone, we celebrate it! 
• if you don't model the behavior in class, your child may wrongly learn that only teacher sings and dances.  He/she may not be inspired to try to do it him/herself!
• Expect your child to explore his/her musicality at home … but only if you model singing and dancing for your child! 

I still have questions you haven't answered

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