Modulo

Music Together

Recommended Ages

Birth–2nd grades

Music Together is a music and movement program for babies through early elementary students that brings families together to sing, dance, and play with simple instruments. Classes and home materials focus on folk and original songs in varied meters and modes, helping children develop rhythm, pitch, and musical confidence through repetition and joyful participation. Created in the late 1980s by music educators and researchers, Music Together is grounded in research on early childhood music development and now runs classes worldwide. Parents love that there’s no pressure for kids to “perform”; instead, adults model participation and kids join in at their own pace. It’s ideal for families who want a warm, community-based introduction to music that can later support formal lessons. Tuition can be a significant investment, but the song collections and habits you build can last far beyond a single session. To stretch value, keep using the recordings at home long after class ends.

Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers (and their grown‑ups) who love singing, dancing, and instruments and whose families want music to be a playful, everyday part of life rather than a formal lesson.

Pros

Internationally used, research‑based early‑childhood music‑and‑movement program; homeschool reviewers love how it nurtures rhythm, pitch, and musical joy while strengthening parent‑child connection, with songs that genuinely become family favorites.

Cons

In‑person classes and home materials can be expensive; adults are expected to participate enthusiastically; it’s not a full instrument or theory curriculum for older children, and availability depends on certified local teachers or online offerings.

Some preschools and Head Start or childcare programs include Music Together as part of their publicly funded curriculum, but families enrolling in community classes usually pay tuition directly rather than via ESAs or charters.

$50-$350/year

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Music Together
$50.00 USD

Skills

What kids will learn
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Music
Music
Early Learning
Early Learning

Music Together Mission

Music Together’s mission is to help all children realize their innate musicality by engaging the whole family in joyful, research-based music-making from birth through early elementary. Its mixed-age classes, song collections, and home materials are designed so that parents and caregivers become active music role models, creating a rich sound environment where kids can develop basic music competence—singing in tune and moving with accurate rhythm—through play.

Music Together Story

Music Together grew out of composer and educator Kenneth K. Guilmartin’s work in the 1980s at the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, New Jersey, where he was exploring how very young children learn music. After meeting researcher Lili M. Levinowitz, whose doctoral work focused on music development in early childhood, the two began collaborating to design parent-child classes grounded in Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory and developmental research. In 1987 they offered the first Music Together classes to local families; over the decades, the program has spread to thousands of communities in more than 40 countries, with licensed centers, teacher trainings, and a continually evolving song library.

About Modular Learning

FAQ: Additional Details about Music Together

In class, you sit in a circle on the floor with other caregivers and little ones, shaking egg shakers, swaying with scarves, and singing call‑and‑response songs while the teacher plays guitar or ukulele; later, at home, the same tunes become bath‑time and car‑ride sing‑alongs as your child hums and taps along on pots, pans, or a toy drum.

Music Together is an early‑childhood music and movement program offered through local centers, preschools, and online classes for families with children from birth through about age 8. You enroll for a multi‑week session, attend a weekly group class led by a trained teacher, and receive recordings and songbooks to keep the music going at home all week.

High parent involvement is built‑in—grown‑ups are expected to participate enthusiastically in every class, modeling musical play, and to use the recordings throughout the week so children see music as a joyful, shared family activity.

No musical background is required and babies are welcome; you simply need a willingness to sing, move, and attend regularly, plus any materials your particular center recommends bringing.

Music Together’s parent‑child classes are sensory‑rich and relational, often excellent for autistic, ADHD, and speech‑delayed toddlers who benefit from movement, rhythm, and shared songs. Instructors experienced with special needs can offer modifications, quiet corners, or alternative instruments for sensory‑sensitive children.

Music Together classes blend singing, movement, and simple instruments in a playful, relationship-based setting, often giving sensory seekers joyful vestibular and auditory input while allowing families to step back or modify as needed.

Music Together explicitly welcomes children with physical, cognitive, and neurological disabilities into its family classes and offers supportive “special needs” and therapeutic partnership programs, so it works well for kids with developmental delays or medical conditions who benefit from inclusive, whole‑body music experiences.

Group, play‑based music can be a safe social outlet for 2e kids, especially those who are sensory‑seeking or highly musical. Look for teachers comfortable with wiggly, asynchronous kids and be ready to step out if the environment feels too loud.

Refund and credit policies vary by independent center, but many offer a full or partial tuition refund minus a non‑refundable registration or materials fee if you withdraw before or within the first week of the session, with no refunds once classes are underway.

Not a great fit for families wanting independent, screen‑based lessons, late‑elementary or older kids looking for instrument‑specific instruction, or those unable or unwilling to attend group classes or afford materials.

Alternatives include Prodigies Music, KinderBach, Hoffman Academy, local Suzuki or community music programs, and simple family sing‑alongs with curated playlists and rhythm instruments.

Music Together continues to develop new song collections, expand its in‑school and online offerings, and has introduced a free app with sample tracks to make it easier for families to explore classes and keep singing between sessions.

Use the CD/streaming tracks throughout the day (car, bath, cleanup), and keep a small basket of shakers, drums, and scarves handy so “class” naturally blends into daily play.

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Meet Ken and Lili

Kenneth K. Guilmartin is a composer, theatre musician, and music educator who founded the Center for Music and Young Children in 1985 and conceived the Music Together program as a way to bring high-quality early childhood music experiences to families. Dr. Lili M. Levinowitz, a professor of music education and researcher in children’s music development, joined him as curriculum co-author, bringing deep expertise in how infants and toddlers acquire musical skills. Together, Ken and Lili blended artistry and research to create a program where caregivers are central to the learning process—a philosophy that continues to shape Music Together classes worldwide.