Eastside Westside Music Together

Our Story

Music Together® began in 1987 as an educational project of the Center for Music and Young Children¨ of Princeton, NJ. The program, which is designed for children birth (yes, birth!) through five years, is based on the premise that all children are musical and have the same innate ability to learn music as language. At Music Together® we believe that music ability is as much a basic life skill as walking and talking and that all children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with pleasure and confidence in the music of their culture. We nurture the child's natural enthusiasm for music and movement as we sing, dance, chant, and play instruments in an informal setting that will enrich their musical environment and guide them towards a lifetime of music making enjoyment.

Music Together® came to the westside of Manhattan in the spring of 1993, and to the eastside just before that, in 1992. Over the years, we have grown primarily through word of mouth and since inception have brought music into the lives of tens of thousands of families on the upper west and upper east sides. We continue to thrive and expand our program today with parent/child, preschool, and outreach classes on the upper east and west sides, ever expanding our community of music-makers while maintaining our heart and commitment to our mission. The joy of bringing music into the lives of young children carries us forward in each of our classes and the beauty of seeing a parent or caregiver rediscover and nurture their own innate musicality is a precious reward all its own. Once recognized solely in the tri-state area as a research-based, grassroots music program for young children and their parents and caregivers, Music Together is now well-known throughout America and has centers across the globe in over 26 countries.

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Business Overview

We are a family-centered music and movement program for children birth through kindergarten and the adults who love them, thriving in New York City since 1993. We offer mixed-age classes, baby classes, and classes for preschool and kindergarten age children with developmentally appropriate activities and an emphasis on parental participation.

Our mission at Eastside Westside Music Together® is to provide the highest quality early childhood music education program for the entire family. We seek to create a community of music-makers by providing excellent teachers, materials, and classroom resources in a developmentally appropriate, engaging, and fun, participatory environment that supports and nurtures music development in young children.

Music Together® is the worldwide leader in early childhood music education programs. All of our teachers are trained to guide you through 45 minutes of music immersion and help you recognize and understand the milestones of your child’s musical journey. Each semester you will receive 2 CDs and a beautifully illustrated songbook with ideas you can implement at home as well as other educational materials to help you understand an support your child’s music development. Come see what all the buzz is about! Join us for a free demonstration class to experience first hand the joy of family music making.

Program Descriptions

Mixed Age Classes (birth to four years): This is the essential Music Together® class, one that a child can attend from birth through age four — and through all nine song collections. Child development researchers recommend mixed-age groupings in the early years because they foster natural, family-style learning. Younger children enjoy watching and imitating older ones; older children learn by leading younger ones; and adults are happy because the children in the family can go to class together. Each child participates at his or her own level in singing, moving, chanting, listening, watching, and exploring musical instruments. The class provides a variety of adult-child activities that are fun and offer new ways to play musically at home. Parents, grandparents, or nanny, individually or together, may accompany the children. The whole family is welcome for this important family music experience.

Babies (birth to 8 months): Every child’s music development benefits from early exposure to music and movement. Because the early months are so important, Music Together offers two options for babies. Infants eight months and younger at the time of registration may attend a mixed-age class, whether registered on their own or attending free with an older sibling. They may also be registered for the special “Babies Class” offered as a one-semester introduction to Music Together. The music activities and materials are specially designed for parents who want to learn as much as possible about music development in infants. Meet other parents of newborns and learn fascinating music activities you can recreate at home with your baby.

Intergenerational. We know that children of all ages benefit from our family-style atmosphere. We are thrilled to be bringing our classes to the Atria Senior Living Center (westside) and Lenox Hill Senior Center (eastside), where children and their families will experience Music Together classes with the ‘mature’ population of our community. Elderly participants will observe and join in just as your children do. We look forward to witnessing the wonderful benefits afforded those who join these very special classes.

Class Locations (Westside)

- Studio Maestro 48 West 68th Street, between Columbus and CPW

- Center for Family Music 102 West 75th Street, Garden Level, near Columbus

- Atria Senior Living Center 333 West 86th Street, near Riverside Dr

- Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew 263 West 86th Street @ West End Ave

- Ansche Chesed Synagogue 251 West 100th Street @ West End Ave

Testimonials

"... Music Together provided a framework of how to interact musically with my children. I found that I sang with my children and played silly musical games with them outside of class. Even though my children are older now ... music is a regular and frequent part of our day and I really feel this is due in large part to our involvement in Music Together." - Mary, mother of Elizabeth and William

"... This program has turned Libby into the most carefree, music-loving, boogying baby in NYC!" - Libby's mom

"... My husband is older than me and therefore his mother became a grandmother for the first time more than 28 years ago, when his brother had children. She had three granddaughters in their twenties when my daughter, her fourth granddaughter, was born in June. This Thanksgiving, everyone came to my house and after dinner, Isabella was in her room playing on the floor with her toys listening to her Music Together CD. When the song, "Nigun", came on her "Grandy", as she likes to be called, asked if she wanted to dance. As the song played, I held my daughter facing towards her Grandy and moved to her and away with the beat. We danced around the room in a circle and Isabella cried out with laughter, anticipating seeing her Grandy's face. I have never seen my mother-in-law so happy. The next week, my mother-in-law wrote my husband and I a letter, thanking us for taking Isabella to music classes and saying that she feels she has found a great connection to her granddaughter through music. She said that she did not know how it would be, to be a grandmother again at truly a grandmother's age -- she worried about what her role would be and how she would have the energy to participate and play with a new baby. Through music, Grandy found a way to play with Isabella. Everything was easy and on Thanksgiving, we were thankful for this class and the CD we play at home." - Erin, mother of Isabella

"... I don't get to go to class that often, my sitter brings my daughter. I love that the CDs go home so I can learn the songs too. My daughter's favorite song is Vengan a Ver and we don't even speak Spanish! She just loves class and now loves to make music anywhere!" - Ivy, mother of Maya

"... It is so great to have a program where I can bring my children of different ages together. There are so few programs out there which allow that. I'm grateful for a class to which I can take both that is equally engaging and beneficial for [their] different ages." - Katherine, mother of Elizabeth and Sara

"... We have [the Music Together CDs] on at home for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They have become very much a comfort for my daughter. I love how the music has taught her to "lose herself" and just have fun with the beat. I know there are 1001 other classes out there that we could have taken, but thank goodness I was directed to your program from Day One. It truly brings out the natural musicality that all children are born with." - Holly, mother of Libby

"... I just wanted to drop a line to say how much my daughter Katie and I enjoyed our first experience with Music Together. It's a wonderful program, we love the CD, and we love having those 45 minutes every week to sing, dance and laugh with other families." - Olivia, mother of Katie

"... The idea of singing as an adult used to feel intimidating, and it doesn't anymore. Although I wouldn't sing to a bunch of adults, I sing constantly with the children, going around on the street with the stroller, making up songs, making up verses to the songs we know. My husband does it too and it has given our family kind of a music library to work from." - Katherine, mother of Elizabeth and Sara

"... I was at a party and there was dancing: instead of freezing and feeling self conscious, I did what I do when I dance at my son's Music Together class---move to the music and have fun! That's what it's all about anyway, having fun. It showed me how much I have been learning in Music Together." - Holly, mother of Wyatt

Faculty Bios

Deanna deCampos (Director) began teaching Music Together® in 1992 and founded West Side Music Together® in early 1993. Deanna has performed as both actor and singer on stages throughout the country and can occasionally be spotted performing on stage with her husband, tenor saxophonist Ned Otter. In 2009, Deanna co-founded ArtStrides with three other music educators, in order to bring arts-based initiatives and programs like Music Together to a larger community. In addition, she has many roles within the Music Together® organization. She serves on the Advisory Board for Music Together, trains teachers throughout the country as a Songs and Skills Workshop leader and Associate Trainer, and along with partner Sally Woodson, heads up the Video Production Team, creating videos and multi-media materials that support and promote the Music Together experience. In addition, she frequently speaks at conferences as an early childhood music educator. The Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, NJ has awarded her Music Together® Certification Level II status for outstanding achievement in teaching, musicianship, program philosophy, and parent education. B.Mus., NYU; M.F.A. in Acting, New School for Social Research; Orff Certification Level I; Dalcroze Eurythmics studies. Member: NAEYC and MENC.

Sally Woodson (Director) has been teaching Music Together® since 1994. She has performed in numerous productions in national tours, regional theatre and off-broadway. Sally can be heard on many children's videos and recordings, and serves as a consultant, conductor and voice talent for several publishing houses' ESL divisions. In 2009, Sally co-founded ArtStrides with three other music educators, in order to bring arts-based initiatives and programs like Music Together® to a larger community. In addition, Sally wears many hats for the Music Together® organization. She is an Associate Trainer, Songs and Skills Workshop leader, and along with partner Deanna deCampos, heads up the Video Production Team, creating videos and multi-media materials that support and promote the Music Together® experience. In addition, she serves on the Advisory Board, and was one of the first Music Together® teachers in the country to be awarded Music Together® Certification Level II status, having demonstrated outstanding achievement in teaching, musicianship, program philosophy, and parent education. The award was granted by the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, NJ, Kenneth Guilmartin, Founder/Director. B.A. in Elementary Education from Kansas University. Dalcroze Eurythmics studies; Orff Certification Level I. Member: NAEYC and MENC.

Terri Gabriel (Head of Program Development) comes to Music Together® as an experienced and much-loved preschool teacher. She is a founding member of CollaborationTown, an innovative theatre company that creates ensemble-driven new plays. In 2009, Terri co-founded ArtStrides with three other music educators, in order to bring arts-based initiatives and programs like Music Together® to a larger community. B.F.A. in Theatre Studies, Boston University with a concentration in Voice and Speech. Music Together® Certification Level I.

Contact Information

Website: www.ESWSMusicTogether.com
Email: info@eswsmusictogether.com
Phone: (212) 496-0496

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