Question: How old does my child have to be to start Music Together® classes?
Answer: Children can start Music Together classes as young as birth. The important thing is that the class is fun for the adult, who is the musical role model for their child. Some adults prefer to start when their children are around 8 months and can sit up and shake instruments. Others love to start when their children are newborns, exposing them to music from the start. We recommend that you visit a class or attend a free demo class to see how it feels for you.
Question: My child is 4 years old and we want to start him/her in music. Should we look into starting an instrument or take a group music class?
Answer: Many adults who studied an instrument as a child feel as if they can't play music well, and are uncomfortable with it despite years of lessons. This is likely because they didn't develop primary music competence prior to studying an instrument. Primary Music Competence is defined as the ability to sing in tune and keep an accurate beat. These abilities are crucial for a person to have a quality experience learning and playing an instrument because they are the foundation of musicianship. Most children are ready to start studying an instrument between the ages of 5 and 7 years, while some are ready at age 4. We recommend sticking to group music classes until at least age 4 to allow your child to build his/her primary music competence, and then taking a trial lesson or two to see if your child is ready to study an instrument.
CMCJP has group music class options for children from 4-6 years, including Music Together/Older Family, Young Musicians, Piano Transitions, and Musical Theatre workshops. If your child is ready for lessons at age 4, our Saturday Piano For Young Children program is a good choice because lessons and at-home practice involve parental participation and a group learning component (every fourth week).
Question: We've done Music Together since our child was very young. He is now 3 or 4 years old. Should we stick with Music Together or move on to something else?
Answer: Our Music Together Older Family classes are a perfect transition for the 3 or 4 year-old who is ready for a more "amped up" music class experience. Older Family classes involve opportunities for individual music creativity, such as singing our own names on the hello song, improvising rhythm patterns, and telling "tonal pattern secrets." We also have an interactive instrument play-along which teaches tempo, dynamics and ensemble playing.
It is often a good idea for 3 and 4-year-olds to participate in group music classes to build their primary music competence, prior to beginning instrumental study.
Other options for 3 & 4 year-olds are: Dramacize theatre classes for parents and tots (ages 3-4 years), Musical Theatre workshops (ages 4-9 years), and Young Musicians classes (ages 4-5 years). For children ages infancy through 3 years, we also offer drop-in Music Playgroup
