From what we know about the brain, this "use it or lose it" concept applies to music as well. Those children who have a deficient musical environment where their potential musical abilities are not stimulated will end up with a significantly lower music aptitude than might have been possible.

Another scientific study recently found a strong correlation between early musical study and the development of absolute pitch (also called perfect pitch - the ability to identify exact pitches without reference to an instrument). Six hundred musicians were surveyed. Forty percent of the musicians in this study who had begun training at four years of age reported absolute pitch, whereas only three percent of those who had started training at nine years of age did so.

The Music Class songs are designed to expose your child not only to a large quantity of music, but also to a broad variety of music. You’ve heard that children who grow up in households where a large spoken vocabulary is used learn to speak with a large vocabulary. The same is true of music. Our songs include a wide variety of scales, rhythms, instruments and styles, to further stimulate your child’s music development.

By enrolling your child in The Music Class, you are providing a rich musical environment for your child forty five minutes a week. Of course, that limited time is not enough. Young children learn throughout the week, mostly by imitating you. Our goal is that you will take the songs and activities you have learned in class home with you and model them for your child throughout the week.

A. I’d like to encourage you to consider these wonderful first years of life as a time for musical development and musical fun. Please do not get confused between learning music and musical performance. A child’s temperament may dictate whether he or she will want to sing out loud in class. A parent’s pressure on a child to perform in class might only make the child uncomfortable, and may take away from the relaxed environment in which young children learn best. Children learn through exposure in a fun environment and need the freedom to experiment on their own. Instead of assessing your child’s learning by how he or she "performs" in class, rest assured that if your child enjoys coming to class and enjoys doing the songs and activities with you at home that he or she is learning in as natural a way as possible. Remember, if your child sings at home and not in class - that’s OK!
Q. When should my child start taking instrument lessons?
A. Before instrumental instruction can begin, a child must achieve "basic music competence." Basic music competence, which can be attained by all normal children, is defined as the ability to sing in tune and in rhythm, and to make rhythmically accurate movements. With proper musical stimulation, this usually occurs between the ages of four and six. Regardless of whether your child chooses to play an instrument at some point, the tonal and rhythm skills they are learning now will give them a lifelong understanding and enjoyment of music.
Q. What To Expect of Your Child in Class
A. All young children need time to get used to a new room, teacher, songs and situation. It typically takes about four weeks to become familiar with the class environment. There is a wide range of responses children will display during the first few weeks. You will see that as the weeks continue the children will become more and more focused in class. It’s important to listen to the tape/CD at home frequently, particularly during the first weeks. Children like what is familiar to them and need a lot of repetition. If they know the songs, they will have more fun in class and learn more.

According to age