Fall 1994 Teacher Report

We regularly get lots of nice letters and comments from both parents and teachers appreciating various aspects of the Music Together experience, such as our teacher training workshops, or the materials, or the classes themselves. These comments are not only nice to hear they let us know we are getting the results we intend: positive, developmental, joyful, and often transformative music experiences for families and individuals. We would like to share some really special letters that came in recently.

Trumpet player Rob Sayer teaches Music Together on weekends in Atlanta, GA, in addition to his position teaching instrumental music in the Cobb County, GA, public schools. He recently became involved teaching Music Together to special needs children for the first time.

"Dear Ken,

I'm teaching my summer classes at the Marcus Center, a division of Emory University offering medical care and enrichment activities for people with disabilities...We've met two times so far and the kids and parents are participating very enthusiastically, even more so than in my regular classes. In the second meeting of my Tuesday class every child, except for a baby with Down Syndrom, sang or grunted tonal and rhythm patterns. I was amazed!"

Rob Sayer,
Atlanta, GA

Like many Music Together teachers, M.J. Territo began as a Music Together parent. She will be starting Music Together classes in several locations in southern Westchester, NY, this fall.

"Dear Ken,

Something happened recently that illustrated how important and long-lasting the influence of Music Together can be. My daughter Emma and her friend Sara were three when they started Music Together. Both are now five, and have not been in class for a year (although they still listen to the tapes and use the songbooks). While playing at our house, Emma and Sara initiated a game of Ariel and Her Echo. One girl stood in the kitchen and made up a phrase of music. The other stationed in the hallway, sang the phrase back. Their phrases were lovely and musically complex, and neither little mermaid missed a tone or a beat when it was her turn to be the echo.

When the game ended, I told the girls how much I had enjoyed listening, and I asked if they'd ever played the game before. Both insisted they had just made it up. I was wondering, I told them, because the game reminded me of the way we repeated tonal and rhythm patterns in Music Together. Emma and Sara looked at each other in astonishment, which quickly turned to delight as they hugged one another and squealed, "We did music class! We did music class! All by ourselves!"

M.J. Territo,
Bronxville, NY

Barbara Bise and Jean Fish traveled from Frederick, MD to attend the June '93 training in Princeton. Barb is an adaptive music specialist for the public schools in her county, and Jean teaches kindergarten there.

"Dear Ken,

This letter has been in the making for many months... We can only begin to tell you how one week with you and Lili last summer has affected our lives. We came to you not for new ideas or philosophies, but for validation and affirmation of who we are as mainstream public school educators with not-so-mainstream developmental ideas.

You gave us research-based information, grounded by your own work as practitioners. Suddenly, instead of our usual feelings of alienation, we found ourselves surrounded by a community of believers in developmental music education. This has carried us right through the 93/94 school year!

Barb has been working as a consultant to music teachers accommodation disabled children in the Inclusive Education classroom, ... sharing philosophical as well as pedagogical information concerning the musical development of children, (and reaching) ... that wider audience we were concerned about who would never be privileged enough to take a parent/child course... Through your affirming and validation influence on Jean, she has been able to present a diverse cross-section of music to her kindergartners. The affect of your belief in her abilities has been the bodily freedom she feels personally, and the adeptness with which she uses rhythm in the classroom...

Administrators have commented on the positive influence of music-making on these children. Most... can now keep accurate steady beat. The joy in watching them develop musically is beyond compare!

Thank you, and thank you again."

Barbara Biser and Jean Fish,
Frederick, MD

Button to go to national site for music together

For more Music Together locations: www.musictogether.com • 1-800-728-2692

Music Together art & logo design copyright ©1992-2008 Music Together LLC. Music Together was developed by the Center for Music and Young Children, Princeton, NJ. Music Together, CMYC, and Center for Music and Young Children are registered trademarks.

This World Wide Web site is the sole property of MusicalMe, Inc. and no part may be sold, transfered, reproduced, linked, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including screenshots, printed page, photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without express written permission from MusicalMe, Inc. except for the class schedules and registration forms.

Web design by Kahleen