What makes Music Together® different?

Research. Music Together^® was first offered to the public in 1987 and pioneered the concept of a research-based, developmentally appropriate early childhood music curriculum. Today, classes are offered all over the world including a lab school in Princeton, New Jersey. Ongoing research at the lab school-as well as the research of others-continually informs our program with the latest in educational best practices for infants and young children.  

As a parent, what is my role in class?

Sing, dance, and have fun! You might be surprised to hear that you are your child's most important music teacher right now—and it doesn't matter whether you think of yourself as a great singer or dancer. Young children develop dispositions for certain behaviors, including learning to love music, by observing and imitating their loved ones. Simply by participating enthusiastically during class and playing with the ideas at home, you'll give your children the modeling they need to learn to love to make music. Please wait to socialize or use your cell phone until after class and instead help us create a music-only environment.

What's expected of my child in class?

At Music Together, children are never required to sit in the circle or expected to conform to an adult's idea of participation. We know that children learn differently from adults. They learn instinctively and constantly, through observation, interactions with adults and older children, and through imitation, play, and, especially, movement. One hallmark of Music Together is the insight that children will naturally develop music ability simply when they are immersed in a community of families all making music.

Children's responses depend on their most dominant learning style and temperament as well as their age and developmental level. Some might follow the teacher right away. Many will simply want to watch and absorb, particularly in the first few weeks of class. Some might crawl or toddle around; others are stimulated by the music and respond more actively, running, jumping, or dancing. All are perfectly natural responses to the new, musically rich environment. Throughout the semester, your teacher will help you tune in to how your child learns best so you can support their music development in class and at home. Feel free to ask if you have questions!

How should we use the Music Together^® materials?

Play your songs frequently, especially during the first few weeks of class. Make the music available for your child to listen to while she is playing or before nap or bedtime. Create your Music Together account and download the "Music Together" app for digital versions of the songs and more activity ideas to try! 

Use the songbook to help you learn the songs and get new musical activities to use at home. If you play an instrument and want to play along, the music notation is available upon request--just ask your teacher. Try using the songbook at storytime!

What is the class size?

Each class has between 6 and 12 registered children, plus their caregiver(s).

How long are the classes?

All class types (Mixed-Age classes, Rhythm Kids®, and Babies) are 45-minutes. All classes meet once a week.

How long are the semesters?

We offer a 10-week Fall & Winter and 9 week Spring semester, a 5-week summer session and a 4 week August mini session

What if I miss a class during the semester?

Families are responsible for class attendance. We are a new center engaged in building our community of music makers. As we grow, so will our class offerings, leading to more available makeups!

What are your classroom Rules?

Distractions: We strive to have 45 minutes of distraction-free singing and playing. Food, drinks, toys, etc. are all distractions for not only you and your child, but for everyone else in the room, including the teacher. Please leave them at home or put them away for the duration of the class.

Phones, cameras, and electronics: All of these are distractions as well and we kindly ask you put them away for the duration of the class. We know it is tempting to want to catch the musical moments during class but children and adults alike are extremely distracted by electronics and the use of them detracts from everyone’s experience. Please feel free to use them before and after class but our policy is to have a distraction-free zone for everyone to enjoy themselves and sing and play together, so please refrain from using all electronics during class time.

Wellness: If you or your child is sick, please do NOT come to class. If you or your child have a fever, vomiting, or known communicable disease (strep, pink eye, etc) within 24 hours before class, please exercise caution and common sense and take that day off from class.

Participation: Adult caregiver participation is vital to our program. You (or whomever the child's caregiver may be) are your child's best model. By participating in class you are modeling what good musical behavior looks like and your child will naturally follow suit. Child participation can look different from adult participation. If a child is old enough to manipulate limbs independently, we ask you to resist the urge to move the child’s arms or clap the child’s hands. We also ask you to resist the urge to force your child to stay seated next to you or in your lap. Some children may sing and dance along while others may simply sit and observe. Children learn in their own unique ways so try and resist the inclination to compare them and don’t worry about what you think “normal” participation looks like. If you sit back, have fun, and participate yourself, your child will get the most out of the class experience—and so will you!

Nannies and au pairs: These adults care for your child and are invaluable to your child’s development and education. While not the children’s parents, they are still role models for the children and their participation every class is vital. Please discuss the importance of their role as models and share these policies with them. If there is a language barrier, please help us by communicating these policies so they can understand. A note about nanny shares: these are not eligible for the sibling discount. Each family must register seperately within the nanny share.

Running: Children are very energetic and can feel the need to run around in class--that's normal! Singing and playing is fun and exciting! Our center policy is that unless we are incorporating running (and freezing) into a song, we instead encourage skipping, dancing, twirling, jumping, or another movement that is safe. Although it may appear that the child is not "actively participating," just being in the room, your child is still immersed in the rich musical and educational environment of the program and is constantly benefiting from it. However, if a child becomes reckless or there is a possibility of injury to a running child or other class participants, the teacher may ask the caregiver to shadow their child to keep everyone safe.

What is your refund policy?

We are unable to refund tuition fees following the start of classes. Families are responsible for class attendance. An administrative fee of $25.00 will be deducted upon cancellations occurring prior to the start of the semester for the first child or $35.00 if more than one child is enrolled.

 ***No Refunds will be given.

What if I start classes after the semester begins?

Music Together Presto welcomes new families at any point during the semester and tuition will be prorated.

Can we eat in class?

Please feel comfortable to nurse or bottle-feed your child in class, but we ask that you not bring food or drink into classrooms.

Will classes be cancelled in inclement weather?

We adhere with the school district in regard to weather cancellations. Should public schools close due to inclement weather, classes at Music Together Presto will be cancelled as well. Please check our website under news for announcements regarding weather cancellations. Any cancelled classes due to weather will be made-up at semester's end.

Can I bring a guest or an unregistered older sibling to class?

Sometimes an older sibling (or unregistered sibling) needs to attend class with you. No problem! Our policy is that unregistered siblings may attend one class per session for free. A second visit is $20.

Other guests, such as visiting friends and/or family are welcome to join as a Drop-in guest for a fee of $20 per child due at the time of class. All guests must be prearranged with the director to keep class sizes manageable. Please contact Kymberley before your planned visit.

Is it OK for more than one adult to come to class?

Yes, parents, grandparents, or caregivers are welcome to attend class at any time!

What happens after we complete a session?

A different song collection is used each semester –there are nine different song collections- so when you re-register, you can look forward to expanding your repertoire with a variety of new songs and chants. The curriculum is designed so that families can continue classes for three years before revisiting a song collection. In three years, you and your child will learn over 250 songs! If you do continue in the program beyond three years (and we hope you will), your child will experience his or her first song collections in a brand new way. 

Why aren't there classes for specific age groups?

Classes with children of different ages have intellectual and social benefits for both younger and older children. In fact, it's the learning environment recommended by many early childhood researchers. Older children learn empathy and awareness of others, while developing leadership qualities and gaining self-confidence. Younger children learn by imitating the older ones and often show more complex behaviors earlier than usual. Even babies benefit by being in an environment that gives them lots of opportunities to observe the behavior of children of varying ages. Plus, it allows everyone—siblings, parents, grandparents, caregivers—to share in the musical experience together!

Please Read our Policies and Procedures page!

How do I get there? 

Please click here for class locations

Do you offer gift certificates?

Yes! Gift certificates toward classes can be purchased at any time. They make fabulous baby shower, birthday, or holiday gifts. Click the link to purchase.