Raquel McCarthy gave birth to her son Dylan 10 weeks early and was faced with the health challenges of raising a premature baby. With the encouragement of now 2-year-old Dylan’s speech therapist, McCarthy turned to Music Together in Phoenix, a music organization that provides classes to children downtown and across the greater Valley.
The music and movement classes are aimed at teaching basic musical competence to children, as well as developing their social and motor skills. What makes Music Together stand out from other music programs, however, is the level of parent or caretaker involvement in the class to strengthen the relationship with the child, according to Sarah Miller, a teacher with Music Together.
“We give music to families to take home,” Miller said. “You participate with your child, we do things in class and hopefully you’ll take that home and make your house a more musical place and make music with your children wherever you go.”
Music Together in Phoenix is a branch of an internationally recognized program for early childhood education and development. It began in Phoenix when native Kathy Rowe, the center director, returned home from Chicago in the fall of 1999 with her two young children. She noticed Phoenix did not have a Music Together program and decided to start her own.
One class soon turned into two, and then three. By 2005, Music Together in Phoenix opened a storefront near Shea Boulevard and 32nd Street. Today, they offer 30 classes taught by six teachers in the Phoenix and Peoria area. There are eight class locations total, four of which are easily accessible to families living in the downtown area.
“Our downtown is becoming so much more vibrant,” Rowe said. “(Music Together in Phoenix is) just another part that adds to the richness of what is happening (downtown). It is a good match for families.”
Music Together in Phoenix serves close to 300 families each semester, with classes for babies 8 months and younger, 5-to-7-year-olds and mixed-age classes of infants to 5-year-olds.
According to Rowe, the organization has taught roughly 3,500 families throughout the years. Miller, who teaches at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix location near Seventh and Van Buren streets, said that the location of her class adds to both attendance and classroom atmosphere.
“People have the opportunity to participate in this music class and also participate at the museum,” Miller said. “There’s a certain appeal.”
Every class begins with their “Hello” song and ends with their “Goodbye” song. The teacher determines the curriculum before each class.
On Nov. 20, as the children began to arrive for the 10:30 a.m. class — first a young fireman in a red firefighter’s helmet and black boots, then several girls in pink, followed by a very sleepy Dylan — they were encouraged to pick their favorite songs to sing in class.
“(Dylan’s favorite song is) ‘Rocket Ship,’” McCarthy said.
Drums, bells, egg shakers and other musical instruments are used to engage the students while the teacher leads on acoustic guitar. Music Together also encourages body movement as a form of expression. In 45 minutes, the museum classroom with south-facing windows is transformed into an active and musical safe haven for children and adults alike.
“You’ll hear me sometimes prompt parents to resist the overwhelming urge to take your sweet little child’s arm and shake their eggs for them,” Miller said. “Let them shake. Let them watch. Let them drop (the egg shakers) on the floor and see what it sounds like.”
McCarthy has seen Dylan improve in his motor skills and development since joining Music Together. After looking at various museum programs in Phoenix for Dylan to attend, she is satisfied with her decision.
“The program seems to attract families that value the importance of early child enrichment and development,” Rowe said.
The atmosphere is “very open, accepting and fun,” McCarthy said. McCarthy and Dylan have been a part of the Music Together family for three semesters now.
Classes will resume Dec. 2 for three weeks, an extension of the fall “Flute” semester. The winter “Sticks” semester begins on Jan. 6 and runs through March 15. Enrollment has already opened for the winter semester.
Contact the reporter at Carolyn.corcoran@asu.edu
