Is Music Together® Worth It for a Baby?
A lot of parents wonder if it is “worth it” to bring young babies to a Music Together class. They share a variety of concerns about whether music enrichment can really be processed at such a young age, if it’s worthwhile to attend a music and movement program if the child is not able to sing and dance, and if the benefits justify the cost. As a long-time Music Together director who has seen countless babies grow from week-to-week into talented chorus singers, piano players, violin soloists, and confident young adults, I can tell you without any question that music immersion at a young age is an incredible developmental leg-up for any child. Music Together Enriches a Child Through Passive and Active Music Exposure.
Babies don’t need to be actively participating in an experince in order to learn from it. I often hear parents say that their child is “taking it all in,” and that is more accurate than you can believe. Babies begin developing an auditory system along with musical memories before they are even born. The first six months of a baby’s life marks a time of rapid brain development, and an open window to begin lifelong musical competence. Attending Music Together classes allows you to immerse your child in the language of music. Even though your child is not carrying a tune and playing a triangle without any degree of perfection, he or she is becoming a fluent musician. The process unfolds organically, just as speaking to your child will create a fluency in the spoken word. How Young Is Too Young To Start Music Together?
Over the years, I have had a lot of children begin Music Together classes as small babies, as young as two weeks old! Many of these students began their musical education early, not because their parents were inspired to expose their newborns to music, but because they were tagging along in their older siblings’ class. I am never surprised, at the end of the semester, to hear parents tell me that the baby got as much out of our time together as the preschooler who the class was meant to enrich! Music Together is a Family Bonding and Child Enrichment Experience
Music Together classes are a community experience of family music sharing. We welcome brothers, sisters, moms, dads, grandparents, and babysitters to join us for class, and are happy to say that we have satisfied customers from every age group. Having mixed-age classes is what makes the Music Together program unique and successful. Just as the children are learning from their parents, the older students model appropriate musical behavior to the toddlers and babies. The family is enriched as a whole, and class time is a special bonding time for children and caregivers alike. It’s never too early to bring your baby to Music Together class, and your time spent here will not be regretted. Consider signing up for the next session of Music Together at Sing With B Music, and you will see for yourself what your child is capable of learning. It will be a welcome addition to your repertoire, an opportunity to meet like-minded parents, and a place to pick up more tools for your parenting toolbox.
Barbi Beyer is owner and director of Sing With B Music in North Kingstown, and a registered Music Together teacher, offering classes for infants, toddlers and preschoolers and their families/caregivers, entertainment at events and children's birthday parties. More information about the internationally recognized Music Together LLC organization can be found at www.musictogether.com.
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