Music Together

NCS and I are taking a music class, called Music Together.

Anytime he hears music, he has to stop and dance. He'll just be walking through the room and hear something in the background, maybe the music to a commercial, and just stops to dance. He started doing this a few months ago, when he was a little less coordinated. At that time, if he felt that he really needed to devote all of his energy to the dance, he sat down so he wouldn't fall down mid-groove.

Since he seems to be so happy when dancing, I went in search of a music class for us to participate in. The only thing that I could readily find online was Gymboree, as they offer a music class for children. I was then referred to Music Together by another Mommy. I called both of the program centers to speak to the teacher, and I must say that I was blown away by the enthusiasm of Miss Beth, the Music Together instructor.

We scheduled trial sessions for both programs, just to try them each out.

Without being too negative, I will just say that the Gymboree center closest to our home did not have their stuff together. It was their first music class in a while, and it really showed. The instructor couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, bless her heart, and for a music class, there was a lot of uncomfortable silences. I certainly hope that their program improves.

Our first day in Music Together, NCS wasn't too terribly interested in the class activities. I'm sure he was happy to hear that Miss Beth could actually sing, but first on his mind was simply exploring his new surroundings and testing its boundaries. (Actually, he did that at both classes.) He really only wanted OUT. But the music was nice, and the other children were having fun.

I was a little worried that my child never seemed to want to participate in any sort of organized activities, and I could clearly see for the first time how strong-willed he really is. It appears that I have a free thinker on my hands... yikes!

So today was our second class, and it was amazing for me to see the difference in his comfort level. He didn't stay in the circle of children the entire time, but he certainly checked it out. He didn't linger around the outer periphery of the room this time, he ventured a little closer in towards the center of the room, but he was dancing and jumping and laughing from where he stood. Several times, he went to sit in Miss Beth's lap and gave her hugs. What a sweet boy!

There is a little girl in his class named Samantha that he really likes. They gravitate towards each other, heading off into a corner to play and just blowing off the Mommies. He even gave her his Teva to chew on, learning to share already.