Family Music-Making Hits VaHi

By Jennifer Fargar

If you’ve recently noticed families singing or dancing while they walk down the street, it’s most likely because they’ve discovered VaHi’s newest ‘family find’: family music classes presented by Music Together Metro Atlanta!

Each week, families with children ages newborn to 4-years- old gather to sing, dance and play. And underneath all the fun, there’s some serious childhood development going on!  Interactive music-making creates greater bonds between a child and his or her parents, supports cognitive development and introduces these young minds to culture and language through world folk songs and a variety of real instruments.

Music Together is an internationally recognized music and movement curriculum supported by years of early childhood development research. Nine separate song collections allow families to attend classes for 3 consecutive years without repeating any of the material. Each collection includes catchy rhythm chants, instrument play-alongs and circle dances.

The smile behind all that music coming out of the Virginia-Highland location is Lauren Bock, a local musician & guitar teacher, who’s been leading Music Together classes for 5 years. “As a musician, I often find myself playing for folks as they sit and listen. But in class, it’s all about the interaction!  The families in the VaHi community are so wonderful! They really get how valuable this experience is for their children,” says Bock.

In each class, parents are introduced to ways in which they can incorporate music at home, all day long.  The songs and interactions learned in class become a soundtrack for each child’s life, whether it’s snack time or nap time. As part of the program, each family takes home the music and a song book to help keep them singin’ and snappin’ all week long!

Music Together classes are held inside Virginia-Highland Church Monday-Saturdays, mornings, afternoons & evenings. To find out more, or to sign up for a free demo class, visit www.MusicTogetherMetroAtlanta.com. New classes begin March 14th!

Jennifer Fargar is an Early Childhood Music Specialist with Music Together.