Diana and Eli clap and sing during a Music Together class.
Stopping by my office after their Music Together class recently, three-year-old Eli and his mom Diana clapped and sang a song they learned in class. With the current Music Together session wrapping up, they’re here to register for the next one. Diana tells me that Eli loves the class and they sing the songs together at home all the time.
Eli and Diana are Music Together regulars: they’ve been participating since Eli was only three months old. Their entry point into the program? One of our free Music Together Babies Classes.
“Music Together has not only brought Eli and me so much joy, but has brought us together because of how we get to bond during music class!” says Diana. “I know that the growth in his brain development has a lot to do with Music Together.”
Music Together Babies Classes have been offered at the Goshen College Music Center since 2009.
Eli and Diana are some of the many families who have benefited from our free Music Together Babies Classes over the years. Since 2009, we’ve provided Babies Classes to Elkhart County residents with infants under 9 months. Thanks to our partnership with Horizon Education Alliance, we’re able to offer them for free. We agree with Brian Wiebe, CEO of Horizon Education Alliance, that music should be a birthright for every child. We’re proud to offer these classes as one step toward that vision.
Music Together Babies Classes are also part of a larger early learning initiative in Elkhart County. This fall, the launch of Building Strong Brains proved that Elkhart County is committed to helping every child thrive. Music aligns well with this effort, with its many intellectual, social, and physical benefits. What’s more, as Diana said, music brings parents and children together. Getting parents to interact and play with their children through music provides rich benefits for children’s development – and it’s just lots of fun!
In 2023, we will again offer several free Babies Classes in partnership with Horizon Education Alliance. We’re excited to offer classes at several locations in Goshen and Elkhart. View the schedule here, and stay tuned for more classes to be scheduled soon.