Green Mountain Music Together :: Review & Giveaway

Let me start by saying that taking a music class from Green Mountain Music Together at the Flynn Center with my one year old daughter has truly been the best “mommy and me class” I have taken to date. I tried a couple yoga classes and a gymnastics with my son and they were (mostly) good, but Music Together has been really, consistently, wonderful.

Music Together® is an internationally recognized early childhood music and movement program for children from birth through age 7—and the grownups who love them™.

Music Together classes are based on the recognition that all children are musical. All children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with confidence in the music of our culture, provided that their early environment supports such learning.

Green Mountain Music Together offers classes around Chittenden County using the Music Together curriculum. Alison, the director and teacher, creates a very inviting classroom atmosphere. When my daughter and I began this past September, half of the class was children Alison had already taught in a previous class, and half of us were newbies. Kids in our class range from 1 to 3 years old. We were also given cds of the songs we would learn during the class series, as well as other materials to help us learn at home. Though there is a set curriculum, the method is very low pressure and all you have to do to be successful is sing and dance with your children.

Class always starts with a welcome song where each child’s name is sung. Then it’s nonstop with different songs and activities flowing for 45 minutes. Alison brings out various percussion instruments, stuffed animals, scarves and other props to keep it varied and interesting. There is dancing, running, tiptoeing, hand motions and call and repeat to keep everyone engaged. The songs are repeated each week so kids and parents can really learn them. There are two dozen tracks on the cd so it definitely takes the full 10 weeks to progress through them all.

Alison is also understanding of each child and their stage of development. She doesn’t mind if kids wander around the room a bit, or refuse to give up a musical stick or other fun prop used during class even when everyone else had already turned theirs in (that is my daughter on several occasions). She understands that kids learn in different ways and participate at different levels, but they are all still learning. She also tunes in to what kids do during the song. If she notices a child doing a certain motion during a song she incorporates it and gets the whole class to copy it. She gives older children the opportunity to lead a song or give a suggestion for rhymes if they want.

My daughter has had a lot of fun with this class. We listen to the cd in the car all the time so she really knows the songs and can sing along. She beats out rudimentary rhythms with sticks and has favorite percussion instruments she always goes for. At home she sings even more and even requests songs by doing the hand motions associated with them. Her brother has also benefited even though he is at preschool when my daughter and I attend. He has learned the music by listening to the cd in the car, and he also breaks out into song at home or requests specific songs when listening to the cd. The songs are Traditional (sort of folksy) and enjoyable for adults too. I can really vouch for this because I’ve listened to the cd at least 100 times on car rides and I’m not sick of it.

I highly recommend taking a class with Alison at Green Mountain Music Together! Check out the website here.

Here is your chance to win a free class! Allison is giving one lucky reader a chance to participate in one of her classes during her next session beginning in January.  Enter below for you chance to win!