What Is Music Together®?
Music Together is an early childhood music and movement program for children from birth through age eight—along with the grownups who love them! Originally offered in New Jersey in 1987, we’ve been offering Music Together classes at Popovsky Performing Arts since 2010.
Our classes help little ones nurture their natural musical abilities—and so much more.
We’ve Done Our Homework
Our early childhood music curriculum is backed by decades of research in both music education and child development. We know what works, and we’re great at it! Since children learn best through play, we ensure that every class is engaging, interactive, and fun.
Music Together was the first early childhood music program to offer mixed-age classes, and for good reason. Child development experts have long recognized that a family-style, mixed-age setting is one of the best ways for young children to learn—and we’ve seen it in action! In our Mixed-Age classes, older children enjoy demonstrating their skills, while younger ones love to watch and imitate. The relaxed, no-pressure environment allows each child to learn at their own pace, making the experience fun and stress-free for everyone.
We’re All About Connection
Imagine a lively gathering where children and adults come together, united by the joy of music. That’s the heart of our family music classes! We understand that young children learn best by watching the important role models in their lives—parents, teachers, and caregivers. And this is where the grownups play a key role.
In our classes, we show adults how to inspire their little ones to become confident music-makers by simply enjoying music together. The room fills with fun and connection as babies, toddlers, and preschoolers gather with their families. Unlike many activities out there, Music Together creates an inclusive experience, from the tiniest infant to the oldest great-grandparent. Picture an extended family with a dozen kids and loving adults sharing music—this is the spirit we aim to create!
We Know Our Why
Making our community more musical has a powerful ripple effect. While gaining basic music skills is one of the most obvious benefits of our early childhood music program, there are many other less visible advantages as well. Music supports children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development in ways that go beyond the classroom.
The benefits of music aren’t just for children! Research shows that listening to music can enhance your brain’s ability to process information, reduce stress, and even improve memory. Making music with your children can strengthen the parent-child bond and improve the quality of your attachment relationship. In fact, music has been shown to improve outcomes and increase bonding, particularly in cases of postpartum mental health challenges like postpartum depression and anxiety.
We Have a Team of Superstar Teachers
Our Music Together teachers have nearly 20 years of combined experience in the Music Together classroom and additional backgrounds in music and early childhood education. They’re also all parents!
Miss Christyn began teaching Music Together in 2014 and is a Certification 1 Music Together Teacher. She’s taught thousands of Music Together classes and hundreds of children and still gets so much joy out of every single class.
Christyn is also a mom of two, PPAS co-owner and director, a French horn player, and a yoga teacher. She loves trying new things and is always looking for the next adventure, and is thrilled that she gets to promote healthy minds and bodies through creativity, community, music, and movement for everyone, from the littlest babies to the oldest great-grandparents!
Miss Megan began teaching Music Together in 2018 and recently became a Certification 1 Music Together Teacher. Coming from a background of public and private school teaching, Megan enjoys getting to work with families at the very beginning of their child’s musical development. Megan also is the Office Manager and a piano instructor at Popovsky Performing Arts, and teaches classes at New School Montessori through their partnership with PPAS. Megan’s roles outside of teaching include Director of Local Music Mission at Calvary UCC in Reading, and busy mom of two active little music makers. A self-described lifelong learner, Megan is grateful to have the opportunity to foster a lifelong curiosity and appreciation for music in the students and families she works with day in and out!
Miss Trinda began teaching Music Together in 2022 and will be completing her Rhythm Kids training over the next few weeks. In class, she loves helping the grownups lean into their silly side, just as much as she loves singing with kids! Trinda is an active PPAS teacher with over 20 piano and ukulele students, and she teaches music classes at New School Montessori through their partnership with PPAS. Outside of the studio, Trinda is a mom to her son Lawrence, an avid reader, and spends most of her free time outside either hiking or gardening.
Miss Sam has been working with young children all of her life. A 2004 graduate of Mount Joy Vo-Tech with a focus on early childhood education, she went on to use that knowledge in several settings throughout her career; from Nanny to Gymboree music teacher, to mom and in-home daycare provider, to Music Together teacher and community leader. Music is a learning tool Sam uses every day with the children she cares for, as well as her own young children. Singing is a long loved hobby of hers, and she can’t wait to make music together with you!
WHAT TO EXPECT IN A MIXED AGE MUSIC TOGETHER CLASS
- Fully trained, registered Music Together teachers lead groups of six to twelve children and their parents or caregivers (nannies, babysitters, grandparents, and beyond) in forty-five minutes of music and movement experiences.
- Each weekly class offers a dozen songs and rhythmic rhymes, including fingerplay, small- and large-movement activities, and instrument play.
- Children and their adults have opportunities to create and improvise—making up new words to songs, offering movement ideas, making silly sounds, and sharing musical ideas from the family’s play at home.
- The relaxed, playful, non-performance-oriented classroom setting respects and supports the unique learning styles, developmental levels, and temperaments of all participants, creating a strong sense of community.
- Families receive a professionally recorded CD, online download, and access to your songs via the Music Together Hello, Everybody app—along with an illustrated songbook that’s filled with music-making ideas for spontaneous music play beyond the weekly classes.