WHAT ARE Music Together^® MIXED AGE CLASSES LIKE?
Classes are made up of 6 to 12 children each child accompanied by a parent of caregiver.

Ten weekly, 45-minute classes include songs, rhythm chants, movement, and instrument play. These activities are presented as informal, non-performance-oriented musical experiences--developmentally appropriate for children and easy for parents and caregivers--regardless of their own musical ability. two professionally recorded CDs (one for home and one for the car!) and a songbook with the current session's music selections are included!

The songs are presented through a variety of musical activities which incorporate....
-- Fun playful, interactive ways to focus on tonal and rhythmic elements of music
-- Small and large movement
-- Free, expressive dance
-- Instrumental accompaniment (egg shakers, jingle bells, sticks, rhythm instruments)
-- Use of props (scarves, balls, etc.)
-- Opportunities for improvisation by children as well as parents

Classes have a characteristic flow which allows for various ages to all participate and make Music Together, each at his own level. Certain rituals, such as the Hello Song at the beginning, and the sequence of Instrumental Jam Session, Lullaby, and Goodbye Song, at the end of class, help children internally pace their involvement and aid in classroom management.

Parent education during class will increase your understanding of the relevance of class activities to childhood music development.

Music Together parents discover what a powerful ROLE MODEL they are to their child, just by having fun with the music themselves. In doing so, they often find that their own musicality flourishes as well.

WHAT ARE Music Together BIG KIDS CLASSES like?:

Music Together Big Kids™ (MTBK) is for 5-, 6-, and 7-year-olds. We have learned that children under 5 usually don’t have readiness in one of more of the social/emotional/cognitive areas necessary to do the MTBK work even if they have the music readiness (i.e. BMC).

Music Together Big Kids provides a cumulative learning sequence: over time (a recommended minimum of three semesters, with six or more preferred) children develop their capacity to respond to music as listeners, as learners and as music-makers.

The classes are 60-minutes long.

Parent participation is optional. Many children of this age are ready for more independence in the classroom, so parent attendance in each Big Kids class is welcome but not required. Parents (or another caregiver) should plan to attend their child’s first class so they can better understand the program.

Younger siblings should not attend due to the structure of the Big Kids class. However, parents AND younger siblings are welcome and encouraged to join the last 10 minutes of every class.
What’s in class…

Structured activities such as conducting, game songs, solo and ensemble experiences, improvisation, movement, music-reading readiness, and solfège to name just a few.

Activities satisfy both the fun-loving and challenge-ready natures of 5-, 6-, and 7-year-olds and provide opportunities for leadership, confidence building, social interactions with peers

Mixed-stage approach means that children’s individual temperaments, learning styles, and developmental stage are honored and participation is choice-based. Children this age are ready to learn about being a part of a group, about taking turns, and about following rules.

Secondary musical development is the period in which children start on the path to Basic Music Literacy. Basic Music Literacy is simply being able to recognize the elements that can be associated with music and the focus is on pre-literacy behaviors and skills.
Lesson plans—typically have fewer songs because more time is spent developing activities for each song.

Rhythm and tonal patterns—recorded on the Big Kids CDs to reinforce the games and activities in class
What you get…

Each collection has fewer songs: we’re using the same collections, but we’ve removed the songs and graphics which are oriented to the younger child.

For each of the nine Music Together song collections families receive:

– Family Songbook
– set of HomePlay pages
– set of Tonal Solfège cards
– 2 CDs
- 3-ring binder

In addition to the family song collection, children are given “HomePlay” pages to experiment with at home. Children also receive their own tonal pattern cards to use in class and at home. And of course, every family receives 2 CDs. In addition to all the songs, tonal and rhythm solfège patterns are included on the CD.

The Family Songbook is filled with suggestions for things to do at home. An important feature of the parent’s page are the “Ask Me About” questions that help parents open a conversation with their child and share a musical moment.

Because there are specific activities on the HomePlay pages and suggestions for parent involvement at home, lesson planning is more structured than in the past.


Below you will see the schedule for WInter 2012. Registration is open.

If you would like to be sent an email registration reminder please join our email list!

Tuition FOR MIXED AGE CLASSES is $165 for new students, $150 for returning students and $70 for siblings. Babies under 8 months and third children are free with a registered sibling. If you are a parent or caregiver of multiples, please email us about our multiples discount. Tuition includes a CD, songbook, and activity suggestions for parents.

ALL REGISTRATIONS FOR CLASSES AT THE NOGGIN FACTORY IN DOVER ARE HANDLED BY THE NOGGIN FACTORY. YOU MUST CALL THE NOGGIN FACTORY TO REGISTER FOR CLASS. 742-0012

Tuition FOR BIG KIDS CLASSES is $160 and $80 for siblings. There is no registration fee at this time and this is a new offering for Parade Hill Music Together! Tuition includes 2 CD's, a 3-ring binder, songbook, home play pages and more!