Take a listen to this really cool podcast by Doug Fearn. He is interviewing Karttikeya who is the engineer and often musician for Music Together^® Worldwide. As Doug says, Music Together produces music for early childhood education with the goal to instill a love of music in kids from infancy.

Click HERE to listen.

Check out this picture of the very FIRST Directors weekend in 1999!

Here at MusicalMe we understand and value teamwork and one of our most beloved MVPs is celebrating her birthday today - Tammy our Registrar! When you have a question about classes...it's Tammy you call...when you have a question about fees...it's Tammy you call...when you call MusicalMe, most likely, the very first person you speak with is Tammy. 

Tammy - we wish you a beautiful and happy birthday and we are so happy that you are part of our MusicalMe Family!

Ever wanted a magic wand to tame a tantrum? Thrown your hands up trying to get your child to eat another bite? Or wondered how many more miles ’til they hit the road to dreamland? Whatever your parenting 911, we’ve got a musical parenting hack for you to try! The great news is you already have the goods to make the magic happen! So, exhale and read on.

1. It’s all about Me, ME, MEEEEEE!

Not only does your child love to hear you sing, they love to hear you sing about THEM. It feels good to be a VIP! When your child hears their name, it’s brain food for focus and attention. Substituting your child’s name in “Mary Had a Little Lamb” or singing “This little Lauren of mine” (instead of “light”) can be so powerful in getting or redirecting their attention. Try it!

2. Take your silly seriously

Pull out an unexpected silly song or dance during dreary chores or errands and make the day sunny again! Try holding your nose and singing “Hello, Everybody” or “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” Sweeping or vacuuming? Take a guitar solo! You’ll all get the giggles!

3. Go! Stop! . . . Go!!!

Play the freeze game to get your family out the door. “Toot” your “horn” and march slowly toward the door to “Marching and Drumming” (Fiddle Song Collection, in the “Hello Everybody” app or the Family Music Zone^®). Freeze after the first part of the song and give your child a sly look before marching quickly again. By the second time through, your child will want to lead YOU! (P.S. Teachers, this works well in the classroom, too.)

4. Beat the clock

Ask your toddler or preschooler if they can put their socks/pants/hat on before the end of “A Ram Sam Sam” (or the “William Tell Overture”/”Lone Ranger” theme)! Give them a turn to sing while you beat the clock putting on your shoes, too!

5. Party in Aisle 3!

Fly through your list as you sing the items off the grocery store shelves and let your child toss them in your basket. “Apples and Cherries” isn’t just for singing about fruit!

6. Who’s your baby?

Imaginative play . . . at bedtime? Yep! Ask your child to choose a “baby” (favorite doll or stuffed animal) to sing and rock to sleep as part of bedtime. Once “baby” is snug and asleep, repeat the ritual—with your child!

7. Turn any song into a lullaby

Transform a song you love—even if it’s not technically a children’s song—into a lullaby by singing it softly and slowly. Drop the words the second time through, singing “loo-loo” or humming it, and watch those little eyes close!

Our summer schedule is available online and registrations are now open! Hurry as classes are filling up fast.

It's Teacher Appreciation week and we just want to do a shout out to our teachers whom we appreicate....because they are the ones who bring the songs to life each and every class.Teacher Lizz, AnneMarie, Elizabeth, Courtney, Shannon, Bonnie, Jessica, Liz, Naomi, Dawn and Devin - we appreciate you and all of the hard work you put into making your classes educational, fun, and a safe space for little ones to embrace and enjoy music. Your efforts will forever impact the lives of many and never forget how important of a role you play. You Ladies Rock!!

"One of the things I love about Music Together is that everyone can participate at their own stage and age. Many people in our culture have stopped actively making music themselves because now we just push buttons to play music anytime, anywhere. We have become “passive” consumers of music, instead of “active” music-makers. At Music Together, we value and model active music-making. By choosing to be a music-maker, you are doing the best you can to nurture your child’s music development!" Teacher Elizabeth

If you ever find yourself wondering, What can my child learn in a play-based program like Music Together?, the answer is pretty much everything! Social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills are all being developed in our classes. This small excerpt from the textbook I am currently reading in my early childhood education class highlights the importance of play for both young infants/toddlers and school-aged children:

“Infants and toddlers learn best through free-choice, play-based experiences in the context of close relationships…One of the advantages of play is that it helps children practice meaning-making. This means they learn or build knowledge by finding meaning in their experience instead of passively receiving information from their teachers.”

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2020). Foundations of Early Childhood Education: Teaching Children in a diverse society. McGraw-Hill.

Original post by Teacher AnneMarie.

We are so proud and happy to announce that MusicalMe won for Best Music Instruction Class in Santa Cruz!! Thank you to all of you who voted for us. We couldn't do it with out you.