Stillwater’s summer Music Together session starts July 9! As we countdown to the start of the summer session, we caught up with our Music Together teacher, Lori Katz, to tell us a little more about the program.

Fun. Fabulous. Uplifting. Magical. 

These are just a few of the ways that parents describe Music Together!

What is Music Together®?

Music Together is Stillwater’s family music program! Each week, a trained Music Together teacher leads the class in singing, dancing, and playing songs that range from tender lullabies to boisterous jams using child-friendly percussion instruments. Music Together’s award-winning music, illustrated songbook, and other print and online resources will help you continue the musical fun at home and nurture your child’s musical growth—even if you don’t think of yourself as a great singer or dancer. 

Why music?

Singing and dancing with children is so much fun, it’s easy to overlook how much they’re learning in the process! Gaining basic music skills is one of the most obvious benefits of our early childhood music program, but learning music also supports social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Your baby is a natural-born music-maker—cooing when you sing a nursery rhyme or wiggling when you dance to your favorite song. Toddlers learn by watching others, playing, and experimenting, and in Music Together, your toddler is starting to learn about the world and to interact with grownups and other children in new (and often surprising) ways. 

Why do parents and caregivers participate in Music Together?

We know that young children learn best from the powerful role models in their lives. That’s where you grown-ups come in! Our family music classes show parents, teachers, and caregivers how to help their children become confident music-makers just by having fun making music themselves. 

Do I have to be musical already to be in Music Together?

Absolutely not! Like parenting, making music requires no previous experience or expertise, just a willingness to get down on the floor and get silly with your child! 

What if I hate singing, or think I have a “bad” voice?

Your voice is your child’s favorite voice, even if it’s not yours. The effects of singing to children are magical: it can energize or calm, and it enhances bonding. Anyone who has sung a fussy child to sleep knows that music can be transformative, and as you’ve undoubtedly discovered while trying to wrestle your little one into their clothes, singing to make the process fun also makes it a whole lot easier! AND, the sillier you can be…THE BETTER!!!

How can I make the most out of being in a Music Together class?

Your life as a parent can sometimes feel like a laundry list of tasks: feeding, wiping, cleaning, bathing…with periodic breaks to grab a fistful of snack crackers and wipe the spit-up off your shirt. Could you be more organized? Probably. Could you devote yourself to decluttering? It couldn’t hurt. 

But in our view, the to-do list can wait. What you really need is some FUN!  Music Together classes are just that, and more. Playful, rich, and engaging, Music Together helps children of all ages—babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids—discover their inner music-maker by playing with the grownups they love. It also helps us grown-ups remember to see the world through a lens of discovery, curiosity, and imagination—and we could all use more of that! 

Summer Music Together meets on Thursday mornings at 10 from July 9 to August 6! Sign your family up today.