Welcome to Music Together!

What to Bring to Class

How to Get the Most out of Your Music Together Classes

Class Health Policies

Emergency Cancellations

Liabilty Waiver Form    All participants must sign our Assumption of Risk / Waiver of Liability form prior to attending their first class. Please do that now so we can start class on time!

What to Bring to Class

-- Socks (We'll be taking off our shoes)

-- Clothing comfortable to move in.  Dress in layers.  As a Covid-safety precaution we will be leaving windows and doors open as much as possible if weather conditions allow. Therefore the classroom may not be as temperature-controlled as usual.

-- For infants, you may wish to bring a baby blanket

-- Hand sanitizer

-- We will be using shared classroom instruments in class.  If you feel more comfortable not sharing instruments, you may  bring your own instruments from home.   Here are some suggestions for home-made or purchased instruments to bring. 

-- Please do not bring food, drinks, or snacks into the classroom area.  (Water, and bottles for infants are fine.)

How to Get the Most out of Music Together Classes

Your Participation is the Key – Young children learn by imitating their grown-ups.  You are the role model for your child as he or she forms an attitude towards music making.  So, in class it is important for you to participate – sing, dance, drum, wiggle -- have FUN! If your child sees you having fun making music, they’ll want to try too!  Do you sing off-key, or can’t remember the words, or have two left feet?  No worries. – sing anyway! We’ll never criticize you, and your child thinks you’re a superstar!

Your Child’s Job is Done When They Arrive at Class  We want the adults in class to participate actively -- but all your child needs to do is show up.  Each child has his or her own learning style, personality, and temperament.  Your child does ­not need to sit still, pay attention, or do what the teacher is doing.  Young children are “sponges” and absorb the rich musical experience of the class whether they are staring at the clouds, checking out their socks, practicing walking skills, looking at the bikes and dogs, or fiddling with your blanket. They are learning music skills even when they are “just” observing others, sitting still in your lap, or wanting to lead you to explore the park. So, as long as they are practicing social distancing  and are not posing a safety issue, let them do their own thing, and know that they are learning in their own way.  You’ll be amazed at what they show you in a few weeks’ time, at home.

Music Together Happens at Home All Week Long! Class is fun and a place for inspiration, observation and absorption – your child’s musical expression will happen later, at home.  The kids “download” the experience in class.  They “print it out” at home.   Each session, you will receive the songs we will sing in class – on the “Music Together” app with your unique download code, a CD, and a picture songbook.  Listen to the songs at home and on the go as frequently as possible – this will make a HUGE difference in what your family gets out of our program.  Play the music for your child while he or she is playing, or before taking a nap, or at bedtime. Play the songs in the car or while you are cooking dinner, and sing them when changing a diaper or pushing the stroller!  Repetition is key for young children!  Use the illustrated songbook with your child, as you would a picture-book and use it to help you remember the songs, and get activity ideas.  Sheet music is available as a free download.  Please note: While there are some Music Together songs available on Spotify and other streaming services, these are NOT all the same songs you will be singing in class this session - MAKE SURE YOU DOWLOAD THE CURRENT SONG COLLECTION to the "Music Together" app, or listen on your CD!

SING!  Please do not talk during class.  You are your child’s primary role model; if you lose focus, the children will as well.  When everyone is singing, the children get drawn into that musical energy.  When adults talk during class, the children get confused where to put their attention, and the class feels disorganized.  In addition, the silence between songs is a crucial time for the children to develop the important ability to audiate -- to be “thinking musically” even when no music is present.  During that silence, we might hear your child sing!

Please Arrive on Time:  We do our best to have our classes begin and end on time.  Please make every effort to be prompt.  It’s so much nicer for your child to be part of the Hello Song.

Phones / Photography / Food / Drinks:  Your Music Together class is a unique opportunity to let your child see you making music and engaging in the activities with them.  Please turn your phone off and put it away before class.  Please limit photos or videos to a short moment during the "play-along' section of class, and do your best to get permission before including other families in your photo/video.  Please save snacking until after class.  We do not permit food or drinks in the classroom area.  (Water, and bottles for infants are okay.  Breastfeeding is always welcome.)

Guest Policy: The guest fee for all non-enrolled children is $20 per session.  We encourage extended family to come to class - two parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. The more music-making role-models, the better!

Family Music Zone:  Every session there are new fun videos, activities, coloring pages, etc. on the “Family Music Zone” online – accessed with your download code.  If you have any technical issues with accessing your songs or the Family Music Zone, or questions about the “Music Together” app, please email [email protected].

If you have any suggestions, comments, or requests, please let us know!

Class Health Policies

Please note: Our policies are subject to change if necessary due to changing public health conditions. Our goal is to offer a quality in-person experience while reducing the risk of transmitting Covid or other communicable diseases during a class.  

Stay Home if You're Sick!   
      If you or your child have a fever, sore throat, rash, loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing or a cough or other respiratory symptoms, or if anyone in your household has been exposed to a suspected or confirmed case of Covid19 or other infectious disease -- PLEASE STAY HOME, and sign up for a make-up class when you're all better and not at risk of being infectious. 
      If you or your child test positive for Covid, and may have been infectious at the time you attended a class,  please let us know, so we can inform the class (in confidence) of a possible exposure. 
      If you or your child are exhibiting symptoms that you know are not infectious (e.g. allergies), please let the teacher know, so the teacher can reassure the class.

Ventilation

All of our classrooms will be using HEPA air filters during class. Weather permitting, we will open doors or windows to permit outside air to circulate.

Vaccination

We strongly encourage everyone who will be attending our classes to be vaccinated against Covid-19 with up-to-date vaccines and boosters.

All of our instructors are fully vaccinated and boosted.

Masks

Masks are welcome, but optional . Masking with a high-quality (N95, KN95, KF94), well-fitting mask remains one of the best ways to prevent contracting or spreading covid. Singing is considered a higher-risk activity for spread of Covid, and some of our students are too young to wear masks.

While we know that the benefits of the teacher's facial expressions and unfiltered voice are important, our teachers may choose to teach with or without a mask. (Some teachers may feel more comfortable removing their mask if most of the class are wearing masks.)

Here is a video with lots of information about choosing an effective kid's mask.  (There is a link below the video with a spreadsheet with detailed information on several masks.)  This same Youtube channel has lots of information about adult masks as well.  Here's another link with information on selecting an effective child's mask.

KF94 masks seem like a good choice -- good filtration, good fit, more breathable, and comes in kids' sizes. Another popular choice is an N95 mask -- many people find 3M "Aura" 9205+ masks comfortable.

Emergency Cancellations

In exceptional circumstances, we may need to move a class to Zoom, or reschedule it for another week.  We will send out a text message. Please make sure to opt-in to receive emergency texts here.  Information on what to expect in a Zoom class here.

 IN THE CLASSROOM, AND AT HOME, LET’S MAKE MUSIC TOGETHER!