Music Together: Nuture Their Inner Musician

Are you looking for a fun music class for your child? One popular music class is Music Together of Marin, a family music education program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families and caregivers. Beth Crespan, a former preschool teacher, started her business 10 years ago, and offers ongoing classes in Ross, Mill Valley, Corte Madera, and San Anselmo. One of Beth’s goals is for students to bring the music home that they learned in class and share it with their families.

Music Together classes are forty-five minutes long and include an artistically conceived flow of songs, nursery rhymes, instrumental jam sessions, fingerplays, and movement activities. The combination and types of activities are research-based and support children to develop the ability to naturally sing in tune and keep time. Class activities evolve from the child's world and include vocal play, rhythm play, animal sounds, and a good bit of genuine, silly fun.

Children and adults sing and dance together in mixed-ages classes, playing percussive and tonal instruments (including bells, sticks, shakers), and experimenting with props such as scarves, streamers and parachutes. Teachers model live music making by playing a range of instruments in class, from guitars to violins to flutes. Music Together of Marin's families often form an intimate community in class, and many stay together through the program's three-year cycle of nine rotating collections of original and traditional music.

Music Together has found a permanent home at 235 San Anselmo Avenue in San Anselmo. "This is my tenth year in business, and I've always wanted my own studio," says Beth. "Our goal is to spread the joy of music-making. This new location will help us reach out to more families!" The public is invited to a Grand Opening celebration from noon to 3 pm on Saturday, May 3, 2008 at the San Anselmo studio.

In addition to ongoing class offerings in Ross, Mill Valley, and Corte Madera, Music Together of Marin offers classes on Tuesdays through Saturdays at its new San Anselmo home. Visit www.MusicTogetherofMarin.com for more information or to register.