Singing with Babies and Young Children

Babies and children love music. This will come as no surprise to you if you’ve ever soothed your newborn to sleep with a lullaby or bounced him to the beat of your favorite song. But did you know your son or daughter is also a natural music-maker? It’s true: We are each born equipped to respond to music from a remarkably early age. There is a lot you can do to nurture your new little musician—even if you don’t think of yourself as a “musical” person. Making music together from the very beginning will lead to a lifetime of shared musical enjoyment for both you and your child. Here’s what one mom who recently took the Music Together® class in Eagan said, “I always thought my baby was just babbling and cooing, but now I know that he is actually responding to the tones of the music! I am now more conscious of how he responds after I sing songs, and I can hear him ‘singing’ with me.”

    
Music Together® classes will start you on the path to becoming a musical family. Specifically designed for infants through 5 year olds, Music Together allows babies to embrace, enjoy, and express their inborn musicality, and provides an opportunity for older children to lead and experience music at their own level. In your weekly class, you will spend forty-five music-filled minutes singing, dancing, and playing with your child, all in the company of other parents and guided by an early childhood music specialist. You’ll learn how your child is developing musically and how you can support this growth at home. Plus, you’ll leave with lots of ideas on how to play and bond musically together and infuse music into your child’s everyday life.

 Cheryl Hornstein, Center Director of Eagan’s Let’s Play! Music Together has attended several International Conferences on Early Childhood Music Education.  She said, “These conferences are rich in information about the most updated research and strategies in early childhood education. I now have even more tools to educate local parents about how to create a musical home life for their children. Music Together® is like no other program in Eagan, and I am proud to serve the community and help parents and their young children bond through music and movement.”