As you may know, the Music Together mixed-age classes promote the development of tonal and rhythm competency, family music-making, and the disposition to be life-long music makers for infants through 4-year-old children. The goal is to help children complete what is called Primary Music Development.

Big Kids classes are designed to begin what might be called Secondary Music Development and offer children 5-7 the opportunity to hone their music skills in a class that is lively, fun and developmentally appropriate. The program is designed to be challenging, yet accessible for older children at every musical level.

Big Kids is therefore uniquely suitable as a "next step" or interim study:
 -- To prepare for formal instruction on an instrument. 
 -- As an accompaniment to beginning instrumental study, especially since the focus of "lessons" is usually limited to the basic mechanics of playing an external instrument. In Big Kids we continue to develop the player's personal "instrument" --voice, body, audiation--as well as his expressive skills and total musicality.

    At Music Together we recognize your older child's new capabilities and provide a developmentally appropriate curriculum that includes:

--music reading readiness - air drawing melodic shape / invented notation
--solfege - using syllables such as do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti to represent tones
--rhythm solfege patterns - macro/microbeat patterns in duple & triple meters 
--vocal development - a conscious 'singing voice' & vocal warm-up techniques
--experimenting with instrumental solos and ensembles
--choreography
--harmony singing, i.e., ostinati / part-singing / rounds
--drumming skills.

   The Big Kids classroom is a safe, familiar, fun environment where your child can experiment with new musical activities like conducting and improvisation, song stories, "silly operas", and game songs.

Parent participation is the hallmark of the Music Together program, but many children of this age are ready for more independence in the classroom, so parent attendance in each Big Kids class is welcome but not required. You and your child will receive a songbook, CD and Home Play activities so that the entire family can continue the fun and learning at home and you can stay connected with what your child is learning in class.

Music Together Big Kids Classes

Class Length: 60 minutes

Session Length:  10 weeks  in Ahwatukee/Gilbert

                                8 weeks in Prescott

• During class, children learn musical skills and appreciation through a special Music Together curriculum developed just for 5-, 6-, and 7-year-olds. Every family enrolled in class received a Music Together Big Kids edition SONGBOOK with activities specially created for 5--7-year-olds, two CD's, and weekly HOMEPLAY activity pages. (There is a NEW collection of music/activities for each new session)

• Younger children are not developmentally ready for the structure of a Big Kids class. To be eligible, your child must have turned 5 by the first day of class.

• While this can be a 'drop-off' class, you (or another caregiver) should plan to attend the first and the last class of the semester. You may attend any and all classes if you wish. However, due to the structure of the Big Kids class, we cannot accomodate younger siblings (except for babies younger than 8 months). You and any younger siblings are welcome and encouraged to attend the last 10 minutes of every class.

• Music Together Big Kids curriculum meets or exceeds all federal and state music education standards for children of this age.

        
     Music Learning Supports All Learning™