Spring Semester is here and it’s not too late to register.  Music Together of Grosse Pointe, held at the Grosse Pointe Music Academy welcomes you to our beautiful new location on 19443 Mack, near Men’s Wearhouse and Caribou Coffee (a great plus!).   Many of you in our classes are returning for your 2^nd or 3^rd Music Together Collection, some more than that (WOW!) and some are coming for their first time this spring.  Either way, here are some ways to make the most of your experience at our Music Together classes.

First of all, use your songbook! The first 6 pages of the songbook include valuable information for you as the parent and most of this post is based on that resource!

Know that not every parent feels comfortable in class at first.  In spite of past music experiences, we invite you to look at this class through the eyes of your child and enjoy playing and participating in music as if it was the first time.

Our classes are meant to be family music experiences, so siblings can attend together (and you’ll get a great discount on the 2^nd sibling! AND Infant siblings under 8 months are free with an enrolled sibling.) Siblings are encouraged to attend class together so they will participate in the same activities and will want to recreate these at home, thus bringing music-making bask into family life. That is why we are called Music-Together – it’s you and your family making music.

Mixed-age classes are educationally sound. Babies and younger children learn by observing and imitating, older children learn by “doing” and being models for the younger children. In my personal experience the classes with the most varied age range have been the richest musically for the families (Thank you, Thursday 11:00 a.m. class!)

It is never too early or too late to begin Music Together classes. In class you will experience music that is fun, accessible and sophisticated, so that people of many ages can enjoy. I’ve actually had a nanny tell me that her teenage daughter requests the Music Together cd while they are in the car! How is that for an endorsement?

“Because children and adults enter the class at many different levels, each person comes away with what he or she needs for their own musical growth. It is like a musical buffet: each person picks his or her favorite foods today, but may choose something different tomorrow, depending on tasted and the nourishment needed. A toddler, an infant, or a four-year-old may take different thing home from a Music Together class, but each will find many things that meet his or her musical needs. In this way, a child may begin classes at any age and will continue to grow musically throughout succeeding semesters.” This is printed in the front of your songbook, along with a lot of other great explanation.

Come experience the musical buffet that is a Music Together class. You are always welcome to call ahead and try one class as a demo before you decide to sign up for the semester. Music Together of Grosse Pointe is excited to grow in our new location, with our new teacher, Miss Emily, teaching on Tuesday mornings. It’s the perfect time to make the most of your Music Together experience!

By: Sarah Boyd, Director, Music Together of Grosse Pointe