By: Amber Mills, Centre Director, Lakeshore West Music Together
So you’re a new mom, or a relatively new mom, and you’re looking for ways to keep your child busy. You know that if their little minds and bodies are stimulated they’ll sleep better and be more content. You go for walks, you visit drop-in centres, you make play dates with friends, and still you’re looking for something more – a way to connect with your little one and make your time together meaningful.
Enter Music Together®. I know. You’ve already been bombarded with information about what is best for your child. It can seem overwhelming to sift through all the “I should do that” and “so-and-so is doing this”. Take a breath. Pause. Music Together® is for your child, but it’s also for you.
The best lesson I’ve learned through my journey with Music Together®, as a teacher and a mother, is that children teach themselves what they need to know through play. In class we are there to expose them to all sorts of live music making; an incredibly rich experience for young brains, and something that happens far too little in western culture. We are there to play with them and model musical behaviour. And then our job is to step back and watch what happens.
This means that the pressure is off! You are not responsible for making sure your child sits quietly on your lap for the whole class. You will not be judged if your child sits back and watches for a whole semester. There are no expectations on your child. And you get to come to a space where you sing with a group every week and learn about music in the process.
Most importantly, the focus of a Music Together® class is having fun! Studies show that singing releases endorphins and makes people young and old feel good. And who couldn’t use an extra boost of happiness every week?
Started in Princeton, New Jersey over 25 years ago, Music Together is now offered in communities all over the world! I am so happy to begin offering classes in Dundas this spring.
All of our classes are mixed ages, making it very convenient for parents with more than one child to attend the same class. Our weekly 45-minute classes incorporate songs, chants, instrument play, scarves, parachutes, scrunchie bands, and more! Each semester two professionally recorded CDs and an illustrated songbook are included in your tuition.
Join us for a FREE trial class on MONDAY MARCH 24th at 4:00pm at the Dance Centre in Dundas. Registration for the demo and more information are available on our website: www.lakeshorewestmusictogether.com
Amber Mills is the centre director of Lakeshore West Music Together. An accomplished singer and actor she has performed on stages all across Canada in works ranging from Shakespeare to musical theatre. She has been teaching children music and drama for over a decade and began teaching Music Together classes in 2011. Her proudest role is as a mother to her 20-month-old son, Elliot.