Frequently Asked Questions About Music Together

How long are the lessons ?
The classes are 45 minutes each.

How many classes in a session?
There are ten classes in the Fall, Winter and Spring session and six in the summer session.

What's included in the tuition?
• Ten weekly 45 minute classes (six weeks in the summer).
• Professionally recorded CD of the semester's music, rhythm chants, "play along" music, and tonal and rhythm patterns. You receive a different CD every semester rotated over 3 years. (And a cassette too!)
• Songbook with illustrations & activities
• "Music and Your Child, A Guide For Parents and Caregivers". A complimentary publication given to new families.
• Parent education evening. An evening to help parents understand and enhance their child's music development.

How many children are in each class?
There is normally a maximum of 12 children enrolled in each class. Occassionally there may be one or two extra families doing a preview or making up a missed class. Each child or set of siblings is accompanied by one or more parent or caregiver.

What happens if I miss a class?
You can make up any missed classes by coming to another class that week or any other week in the session. You must schedule the make up in advance by calling 214-0544. Make up classes cannot be carried on to another semester. You can do only up to 3 make ups in any one semester.

What is the age range of the classes?
All classes are mixed from birth - 4 yrs.

How does the mixed-age format work in class?
Early childhood educators are now recommending mixed-age groupings as a better learning environment. Older children learn from being in a leadership role, and younger children benefit from the example of an older child. Mixed-age classrooms also promote social skills and self-esteem. The classes have more of a family feel rather than a school orientation. Siblings can participate together, as well as moms, dads, grandparents, and caregivers (No need to get a babysitter!). The curriculum is designed to teach on many levels of complexity at once. Children of the same age are not necessarily in the same state of musical development. The activities are parent-child oriented, not child-child, so children don’t need to be with children of the same age.

What do you do in the classes?
It's 45 minutes of fun, informal music making and creating. Adults and children together sing and dance to songs, play instruments, look at pictures in our songbooks, make up silly rhymes for our songs, sing tonal and rhythmic patterns, and experience a wide range of rhythmic and melodic musical variety. Live music making rather than passive listening is the name of our game!

We have a wide variety of instruments such as Drums, Triangles, Tambourines, Bells, Shakers and Rhythm sticks. The instruments are unpitched (don't play musical notes) so that the children will never feel they are playing a "wrong" note and can join in however they like. You too will be playing along on these instruments! We also use scarves, rainbow flags and other props to dance and move with.

How can I preview a class with my child?
You can call us to attend a class during one of our regular sessions or attend one of our Open Houses (free sample classes) at the beginning of each session. Dates and times of the Open House will be posted at the top of the Home page when they are scheduled. You can always email or call 214-0544 for more information.
What kind of instruments do you use?

My child probably won't sit still for 45 minutes........
Music Together classes maintain an informal atmosphere in the classroom and we do not expect children of this young age to sit still throughout the whole class. Normally we have about 3 or 4 activities during the class where we all get up and move around the room. Also children are free to wander about the circle or around the room during the class as long as they are obviously still mentally engaged in the activities. Parents are free to take the activity over to their child to engage them or try to bring them back to the circle.

Can I bring my husband/grandma/aunt etc?
Yes. Any number of adults can attend.

Do you do the same songs every week?
No, each week we do about 13 or 14 songs from the 25-30 cd collection. So each week we do mostly familiar songs with 3 or 4 new ones till we have covered the whole session's collection.

Do you have the same songs each session?
No, There are 9 nine different sessions of material so families can take the course for 3 years and not repeat the material.

I’m not musical. Can I really help my child develop musical intelligence?
Yes! A parent is a child’s most important teacher. Research has shown that children learn their disposition toward music from their primary caregiver. A parent who has difficulty singing in tune can still teach his or her child that music is fun and important by modeling enthusiastic participation. Experiencing music in the class, at live concerts, and on recordings will teach the child to discriminate accurate pitch and rhythm, so the "non-musical" parent can relax about these things.

Do infants really benefit?
Yes! Yes! Yes! Infants’ participation will seem passive at first, as they actively absorb what they are seeing, hearing, and feeling. By reading the parent guide and through parent education in the class, caregivers will learn to recognize their infants’ musical responses and observe them reaching musical milestones. As their bodies and nervous systems mature, the infants often show progressively more complex musical responses and evidence of song recognition. Parents will learn in class how to enhance their child’s music development and how to create or enhance the musical bond with their child. Infants are welcome in any class and are free (up to age 8 mos.) when attending with an older sibling.

Can I get a gift certificate for someone else?
Yes we do offer gift certicates. For more info go to the Gift Certifcate page.

Can I pay by credit card?
Yes, we are now accepting credit cards through Paypal when you register on-line. Go to the Register Now page for more details.

How can I find out more about Music Together?
For Music Together in Flagstaff, call 928.214.0544 . For Music Together nationally, you may call the Main office at the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton at 1-800-728-2692 or look up their website at www.musictogether.com.