How To come together

Guidelines and Policies

Tell your child it's time to make music, and arrive five minutes before our scheduled start time in order to ease yourselves through a smooth transition.

Place personal items outside the studio space in order to avoid distractions (from toys, snacks, etc.).

Wash your hands and help your child do the same. Let's stay healthy!

Remove your shoes, and help your child do the same, in order to keep the studio floor--where we all sit--clean.

Set your mobile phone to vibrate and put it in your pocket so that its sounds won't disrupt our music-making.

Seat yourselves in our circle on the floor. If you're not comfortable sitting on the floor, please let us know.

Join in and have fun! This program is strongly based on parents' and caregivers' modeling for, and interacting with, children. There is no wrong way to express yourself; no one will judge you!

Use your singing voice instead of your speaking voice. This is fundamental! We try to make this 45-minute period of the week a musical immersion. When we communicate musically, the children learn the language of music. You'll likely find kindred spirits among the parents and other caregivers in your class, and we encourage chatting with your friends--just speak outside of class, please. Read Why 

Be patient and observant when it's time to make silence. Often during transition times, children vocalize parts of the songs we've just sung. For example, instead of saying "Put the instrument away now" to your child, just put an instrument away yourself while singing our special put-it-away tune. That way, there will be space for the kids' participation as well. Read Why 

Enjoy your child's free movement and self-expression. As long as nobody's disruptive or injurious, there's no need to intervene. For example: dancing is OK, but running is not. Quietly step out of the studio space with your child if you feel it's necessary to interrupt his or her inappropriate behavior. We're informal, but we're also trying to stay focused as a group; please just let common sense be your guide.

When You're Not Here together,

Sing along with your CDs--at home, in the car, wherever you like--as frequently as is possible and enjoyable, especially during the first few weeks of the session. Make the CDs available to your child during playtime or when it's time to sleep.

Review your songbook to help yourself remember the songs--whether or not you read music or play an instrument. Try using your songbook in place of a storybook at bedtime!

Read and Watch Music Together At Home: Helping Your Child Grow Musically, and also Music Together's E-newsletter Play Along. (Subscribe here!)

Click here to find helpful suggestions from Music Together LLC, as well. 

The Center for Music and Young Children (CMYC) has developed your nine non-sequential song collections--each characterized by its own graphic, color, and musical instrument--in such a way that you can begin Music Together classes at any time, with any song collection, and continue the program for three straight years before repeating a collection.

The music is pitched in just the right range for children’s voices, and includes songs, rhythmic chants, tonal and rhythm patterns, and instrumental play-alongs--all in a rich variety of cultural styles, tonalities and meters. Outstanding recording musicians play a wide range of familiar and exotic instruments on each collection.
AUDIO samples

And please familiarize yourself with the policies detailed below, as well as checking the calendar frequently.

Make-up Class Policy

We want to see you every week, but naturally we understand that scheduling conflicts may occasionally arise. When you notify us in advance at least 24 hours before your class time that you won't be able to join us, your absence will qualify as "make-up-able." In this case, you're welcome to contact our office and schedule yourselves for a make-up class at any other class time with available space during the same session in which you've missed your class (on a first come, first served, basis). Each family is permitted to make up two classes per six-week or ten-week session.