What is Music Together®?             top
Founded in 1985 by Kenneth Guilmartin, a composer and early childhood educator, and developed with co-author Dr. Lili Levinowitz, Music Together® is a nationally recognized early childhood music program for children ages birth through four years of age and their parents or caregivers. It began as an educational project of the Center For Music and Young Children in Princeton, NJ and through ongoing research and development, the program continues to evolve and expand.

What is the Music Together philosophy?             top

1. All children are musical.

2. All children can achieve basic music competence, which is the ability to sing in tune with accurate rhythm.

3. The participation and role modeling of parents and caregivers is essential to children's musical growth regardless of parental musical abilities.

4. Playful, developmentally appropriate, non-performance, yet musically rich environments invite parental and child participation, thereby creating the most beneficial musical setting for promoting children's growth.

What are Music Together classes like?             top
Up to twelve children and their parents or caregivers meet weekly in a 45-minute class to sing songs, dance, play with simple musical instruments, and have fun with chants, fingerplays, rhythm games and a rich variety of other music and movement activities. Classes are informal and designed to be lots of fun, so the adults, regardless of their musical ability, feel comfortable and encouraged to sing, dance, and play as part of the group - giving the children a joyful experience of group music-making. The children are free to participate, or not, in any manner which suits them that day - some may choose to "just" sit and watch, absorbing and studying the rich musical environment, while others may choose to move and sing for different portions of the class. Click here to see a Music Together class video clip.

What is included in my tuition?             top
Tuition includes the weekly 45-minutes classes (each session has a different number of classes – usually 10-12 during the school year and 6-8 in the summer) plus each family is given two professionally recorded CD's and an illustrated songbook, containing all the songs we'll be singing during the semester, to take home to share the joy of music-making every day!

Why a mixed-age class?             top
Child development researchers recommend a mixed-age format because it fosters natural, family-style learning. Every child is given the freedom to participate as he or she chooses, without being burdened by age-specific expectations, and siblings can attend together (infant siblings under six months attend for free!).

What makes this different from other programs?             top
Music Together promotes the idea of "making music together as a family" in an informal setting rather than a performance-based program where the child is required to meet certain expectations. The class takes place in an environment where no expectations for achievement are placed upon the child. Furthermore, we do not expect to teach young children knowledge "about" music – rather, we strive to provide them with very rich and diverse musical experiences. Very young children really learn best when given the chance to experiment and play on their own.

Is it really okay for my four-year old to be in             top
a class with two-year olds and infants?
Role modeling is one of the basic ways that we learn throughout our lives. Music Together promotes mixed-age classes for this reason as well as others. At the age of three or four, our children suddenly realize the concept of a "right and wrong" way of doing things. You may see your child become suddenly withdrawn or inhibited as they are beginning to feel self-conscious when they are in a group of their peers. Mixed-age classes tend to take the pressure off and offer the older child a chance to be a leader in the class and give unique and individual ideas that the younger children may not be able to convey. The younger children often validate the older child's idea by following along readily and look to them for the next idea or suggestion. It is through this growing process that we have found mixed-age classes truly do promote learning, comfort and independent expression while continuing the fun and helping the older child to develop and grow as well.

Why should I start my child so young?             top
Research shows that babies can hear us even before they are born, recognizing the sound of their mother's voice at birth. It also shows that while music is inherent in all of us, babies who are exposed to music from an early age onward, tend to develop their musicality, while others who are not exposed to it, tend not to. There is a window of opportunity for maximizing each child's lifetime musical ability that begins before birth and essentially diminishes by age five.

Is it the same music each session?             top
Each session, classes concentrate on a collection of approximately 30 songs. Music Together has developed 9 different song collections, with a “best of” anthology during the summer sessions. It would take 3 years to repeat a song collection! The songs collections have been designed to offer a wide experience of different rhythms, tonalities, styles and instruments. They are a mix of traditional songs, world music, instrumental play-alongs, original music and rhythmic chants. The music is not your typical “kiddie music” and is enjoyable at an adult level, as well.

What do the grown-ups do during class?             top
Adults have a very important role in our classes. Unlike our “no expectations” mantra for the children, the grown-ups are expected to participate by singing, dancing and just being silly. Your teacher will show you how in a way that will be non-threatening for you - no matter what you think your musical ability is. We try to keep the class as musical as possible - which means we save social conversations for before and after class. You are your child’s best role model – if you participate and have fun, then they will make the discovery that music is fun and interesting, too.

Are Music Together classes appropriate for children with special needs?           top
Yes! All children are musical, and we welcome children with special needs.  Our classes are structured to offer a wide variety of musical activities and experiences, which children can process at their own pace and developmental level, regardless of age or individual need.  Further, research has shown that music can help to strengthen gross motor, fine motor, speech and socialization skills in all children and often proves an invaluable resource to parents, who through music find a deeper way of interacting with their child.

What is your refund policy?             top
Once you have registered, refunds will be granted as follows:

Two or more weeks prior to the 1st class:
Full refund

Prior to the 1st class held:
Tuition less a $30 cancellation fee

After the 1st class held and prior to the 2nd class held:
Tuition less a $30 cancellation fee less a $15 class fee per child registered

After the 2nd class held: No refunds are given

In case of cancellation, please note that all Music Together materials must be returned in mint, re-sellable condition (e.g., CD’s in original plastic shrink wrap, etc.) or you will be charged an additional $40.

What if I can’t make it to every class?             top
Two make-ups are allowed per family per session on a space available basis. To sign up for a make-up, go back to the home page and click on the link at the bottom of the page. The access code is right next to the link so memorize it before you click!!

Can I bring guests to class?             top

Due to the size of some classes, we cannot allow any unscheduled child guests or siblings. Please call While They're Little (516-466-2098) to make sure that there is room in the class before bringing a child guest. If you bring a child guest or sibling without first clearing it with While They're Little, you may be turned away if the class will be overcrowded as a result.   Overcrowding is unpleasant and can be unsafe for the children.   The cost for a child guest is $25. Adult guests do not need to be scheduled ahead of time.   All guests need to fill out a Guest Registration Form (available in the classroom) to be able to participate in a class.

Can I bring Music Together to my preschool?      top

Yes!! We offer licensed Music Together in preschools and day care centers.  In a licensed Music Together preschool class, the children and teachers meet weekly with one of our teachers to do music and movement activities. The weekly classes are reinforced during the week by the classroom teachers. The children "bring the music home" and the parents become involved through the cd's and songbooks that go home, as well as regularly scheduled parent events at school.  The joy of extended family music at home and in school creates a natural circle of learning that builds parent/child, parent/teacher and parent/school relationships. We would love to discuss bringing this wonderful program to your school. Please contact us at whiletheyrelittle@verizon.net to schedule your preschool trial class.