Mixed Age Classes

Music for the Whole Family M.J.Territo

Created from the beginning as a program for the whole family, it was a very natural step early in its history for Music Together to drop the age separations that are typical of more formal instruction models. Says CMYC Founder/Director Ken Guilmartin, I've always thought of a Music Together class as something like song-and-dance time at a traditional multi-family picnic, outdoor concert or other social gathering. The idea isn't to create perfect performances, it's for everybody to join in and have some fun! The resulting mixed-age Music Together class including children from birth through four is one of the many early childhood music innovations pioneered by Ken and Rowan College of NJ Associate Professor Lili Levinowitz, co-authors of the Music Together materials.

Muriel Rand, Ed.D., a Music Together teacher at the CMYC lab school and Assistant Professor of Administration, Curriculum, and Instruction at Jersey City State College, believes that music classes are especially appropriate for mixed-age groupings. Music development does not necessarily correlate to chronological age. An 18-month-old child who has had a great deal of musical stimulation can be as advanced as a three-year-old who is just beginning to develop musically.

Muriel also points out that, in single-age groupings, both teachers and parents tend to have age-based expectations of how children should participate. In the mixed-age environment of Music Together, however, each child develops skills at his own pace and in his own learning style. This acceptance of each child is a unique process is the essence of developmentally appropriate practice. "It can be easier for younger children to imitate older children than to use adults as their models," Muriel continues. A one-year-old just beginning to walk can more easily observe a whole 3-year-old walking, while he may tend to see Mommy only from the knees down. And older children gain a tremendous sense of competence from seeing how much they've grown compared to the younger ones. This is a terrific benefit for the older children in the group.

Muriel acknowledges that older children may sometimes behave like the babies they are observing, wanting to be cuddled and carried when they can walk or wiggle on their own-and are also big and heavy for a parent to life! "This is not the regressions parents fear it is," she says, and is usually short-lived. It's a way of testing new skills. 'Yes, I can pretend to be a baby again,' the child thinks. When he stops pretending he can think proudly, how different I am from a baby. Muriel thinks this behavior is emotionally healthy. Sometimes we push our children to grow up too fast. They need that babying from time to time, and being in the company of younger children is an appropriate place to ask for it."

Mixed-age classes also give parents the option of attending with all their young children. Kelly Connors of Bronxville, NY, has attended three semesters of Music Together with her sons Luke and Jack. Luke was one when they began; Jack was only a few weeks old. "I didn't think jack would get much out of it, Kelly remembers. I was taking the class for Luke, but Jack has really benefitted too. At most Music Together locations, babies eight months and under attend free with a registered older sibling, so Jack's participation in the classes has been easy on the Connors' budget.

Kelly's husband Mark attends classes when he is able and joins in the musical play at home. "Jack may not be able to dance with us yet, but he is so enthusiastic about watching Luke and me and Mark dancing around the living room. And it's great for us to watch the boys interact musically with each other, singing, babbling and playing instruments. " The mixed-age model was chosen for Music Together to encourage the kind of musical experience the Connors family is having. This way, regardless of their musical ability, the whole family learns how to be musical together," says Ken Guilmartin, "like they talk together or do things together. It's the most natural way for children to learn basic music skills, the same way they learn language, social and other skills."

As a culture, Ken concludes, we are confused about the difference between performance and participation. When the singing and dancing starts at a multi-family gathering, the little ones of all ages watch or are carried by a dancing adult. Or they playfully imitate the grown-ups on the side, dancing and singing along as best they can. In this way they teach themselves through musical play to sing in a melodically and rhythmically accurate manner, and to move and play instruments in rhythmic correspondence to music they listen to. Most important, they learn that music is something we all can do. Most people attend this type of gathering once or twice a year, but with the help of the Music Together classes, songbooks and tapes, families can recreate these joyful musical experiences at home every day.

Mixed Age Classes

Music for the Whole Family M.J.Territo

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