Music Together Fairfield County Lilies and Lambs

Being a stay at home mom, I'm always on the lookout for amazing activities to keep us busy during the day. Particularly in those winter months that keep us all cooped up inside. I had heard about Music Together from a friend of mine while I was still pregnant with MM; but the thought of classes for a baby I had yet to meet quickly went on the back burner.

But after just a few short months of staying home with a newborn, I was on the hunt for activities outside the house, and I remembered the rave reviews she had given this little music program.

MM attended her first Music Together class with our amazing teacher, Emily, at the ripe old age of three months. And we have been faithfully attending ever since.

In terms of kiddo-classes, its one of my very favorites; and has provided a different purpose for my mini at each stage of her little life so far. As a newborn, it was a great opportunity for mom to get out of the house, meet other mamas, and feel a little normal again. As she grew, she practiced pulling herself up on the communal drum; rehearsed her first steps in the safety of the open music room; and practiced both stealing and sharing toys with her peers. And now, as she becomes more adventurous, and maybe just a little bit wild,I appreciate that it is a space where she is encouraged to be herself and explore her surroundings.

As we enroll in our sixth {omg} session of Music Together, I asked director of Music Together, Jackie Jacobs, a few questions about this beloved program.

Be sure to scroll all the way down to find more about how to enroll in your local Music Together class:

What is the driving philosophy behind Music Together?

Music is a universal language. It transcends boundaries and reaches beyond culture to touch the depths of our souls, express common emotions, and inspire us all. Music Together connects families and communities across the globe as they express and explore our basic human instinct for making music. We believe that all children are musical, and that it is a birthright for every one of us to be able to express ourselves with the language of music . Our job as teachers is to help bring out and support each child's innate musical potential, by facilitating the modeling and musical interaction of parents and caregivers.

How many years have you been in business in FFC?

We've been in business for 24 years! Music Together is a worldwide program, which was founded 30 years ago. I first encountered the program as a mom in Brooklyn Heights and that is where I started teaching; when we made the move to CT to expand our family, I knew that I wanted to bring Music Together to CT. I was the first person teaching in the state! It was my dream to have as many families as possible enjoy the Joy of Family Music™. Since that time we have had over 45,000 children- and counting- make beautiful Music Together with us!

What do you think differentiates your program from other music classes?

That's a big question! I think that probably the most important thing is that we are not in the business of entertaining children and their parents. Of course, our classes are by nature entertaining, but as teachers, it is our goal to help parents develop an understanding of music development in their children and how to support it, so our teachers don't "perform" with instruments or a band on every song. Research tells us that singing " a cappella"... is a key element in developing basic music competence, so we model that in our classes. Also, since we know that the most important role model in a child's life is their parent/caregiver, our job is to help adult caregivers find comfort with music making in the way that is natural to them, so that they can model the fun and joy of making music with their child and all of the children present. It is important to know that their level of skill has nothing to do with how much their child gains from the experience; they just have to participate in the music making, and that is enough for the children to get the idea that this is something they should do to. This is similar to how we model everything else we want our children to learn, ie, reading, saying thank you, brushing our teeth, taking turns, etc. Our children are always watching and copying what we do! As teachers , if we can awaken the musical enjoyment in the adults in the room, the children will gain the most from the class experience. Everything we do in our classes has a musical purpose and every aspect of our lesson planning has been researched; for example, how many songs we do each week in major keys or minor ones, the tonal patterns and rhythm patterns, and even transitions are carefully planned to maximize the child's development of their musical intelligence... Parent education moments are shared during the classes so the adults can learn the "why" behind what we do. This helps them understand how to support their child's musical development in an organic way. We are also deeply invested in what happens at home with music making, and facilitate this with our online content and downloadable songs as well as the CD's and songbooks we send home.

All of our teachers have received extensive training in early childhood music and continually attend workshops to deepen their skills and knowledge base. As a worldwide program we are constantly evolving and continuing to refine and research the impact of music making on young children so we can share best practices with the families who attend our classes. Music Together pioneered the approach of music making with young children and we continue to be leaders in the field, recognized for the quality of our program by early childhood educators worldwide. Everything we do in our classes is research based and represents the gold standard in developmentally appropriate practice. We all have great passion for the work we do and can see the impact that is has on the entire family unit.

What is your favorite part about the program?

Wow, it's hard to choose! I think watching adults and children start to become a musical community is magical. Music has tremendous power in our lives to awaken our better selves, help us connect with our humanity, experience beauty, and to love each other. Singing and dancing with adults and young children is a joyful experience on so many levels. Knowing that this program enables children to have a strong foundation to enjoy making music for the rest of their lives is extremely satisfying, but also knowing that we have helped parents discover their own pleasure in music making and how powerful it is as a way to connect and bond with their loved ones is also amazing. I am also extremely proud of the depth of research and content in Music Together; we are truly the gold standard in early childhood music education, and I am very lucky to be a part of this incredible program.

What would you tell a parent considering enrolling their child in Music Together?

Almost every parent who contacts us tells us that they know their child loves music; they have seen how they respond to it. I like to share with them what research tells us; we know that all children are musical, and that in order to achieve their inborn musical potential, they need to have lots of opportunity for exposure and to experiment with music in ways that are developmentally appropriate. I usually tell them that the class is informal, meaning we don't expect the children to all follow along or behave in particular way, but that we do ask all of the adults in the room to fully participate in the music making with us.

Each child has a unique learning style and we try to respect it. Some children need to move around the room a lot and never sit in the circle, and others will sit and stare, and we have no performance expectations from them! Most children will show how much they learn during Music Together when they are at home or in the car listening to our music; it is during those times when we see how much music development is occurring because of the exposure they receive each week and the modeling of their parents . But even more important than all of this learning is how much fun we have doing it. Music Together is a joyful family experience both in class and at home that reduces stress, bonds parents and children, and creates community.

Where can we sign up??

We have a wonderful website that has all of the information about our schedule, the philosophy of our program , some video clips, information about free trial classes, and of course, how to register ! Go to ctmusictogether.com ! We also have a facebook and instagram page, and of course, you can always call our office at (203) 256- 1656 with any questions .