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Why is Kindermusik the best choice for my child?
Kindermusik introduces your child to the joy and adventure of music and then moves at his pace, pausing to engage his interests, nurture his gifts, and celebrate his discoveries. From birth through age seven, with the caring guidance of a trained and licensed Kindermusik educator, your child can grow and learn without pressure to perform, only encouragement to explore and discover. You’ll witness a developmental evolution in language skills, literacy, listening, problem solving, social skills, self-esteem and a love of music! Kindermusik uses the power of music to develop the individual your child was born to be. Research tells us that music is the only activity that stimulates every area of the brain simultaneously - which is why Kindermusik carefully creates each class using music as the key to unlocking the brain, and then gives you At Home Materials - high quality, musically diverse CD’s, beautiful literature books, specially designed instruments and creative activities - that will complement and extend your child’s learning at home. You can learn more about Kindermusik’s developmental benefits here.
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Why is Kindermusik the best choice for me, as a parent?
Kindermusik acknowledges that you are your child’s first and most important teacher, and your Kindermusik classes will empower you with the knowledge and tools to bring the love of learning to your child. Life is busy, and family time together is a precious commodity. A Kindermusik class is truly the essence of “quality time,” offering you a place to create special memories with your child and gain new insights into your child’s development. You will discover a unique sense of community and belonging in the Kindermusik classroom. Not only will your child blossom in this environment, but you will come to appreciate the support and friendship from the other adults in class. No other single activity you can give your child offers the integrated, creative, child-centered experience that Kindermusik does. It’s music that makes the difference.
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What class is best for my child?
Each class, from newborns to those who are ready for more advanced musical training, is designed to be appropriate for your child’s current developmental level. In addition, our teachers take the time to tailor activities to best fit the makeup of each individual class. We’ve provided a description of each of our current classes under the logos at the bottom of this page, as well as some helpful guidelines here for a child who is in that “in-between class” age.
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May I join class at any time?
Yes, we’d be delighted to have you! The Kindermusik curriculum is structured so that you may join at any point during the session. If you enroll after the session has begun, your tuition will be prorated. Just call or email us for more information.
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Can I try a class out before enrolling?
Of course! Taking a Free Preview class is great way to get to know us and to learn what Kindermusik is all about. You may schedule a visit to any open class right online.
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Can babies truly benefit from Kindermusik?
We’ve learned that infants are born with billions of nerve cells and a nearly unlimited potential for connections between those nerve cells. Every time an infant has a sensory experience, neural pathways are formed. The greater the number of neural pathways, the greater the brain power. Rich sensory environments are vital to the brain development of infants. Check out what the experts have to say here. In a Village class, we dance in a social setting to allow infants to understand and anticipate patterns, which preps their brains for math and musical theory. We play with steady beat, which underlies our ability to pick up the pattern of language. This is vital, because unless children can pick up the language patterns, they cannot learn to read and write. The bonding and comforting activities we show you in class help you and baby to work through all the natural stresses that occur with growing and developing. Music increases coordination and balance, promotes literacy and language, cultivates listening skills, and encourages delightful and rewarding interaction with your baby!
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My child looks forward to class all week, and sings all the songs and does all the activities at home, but when we are in class he just sits there. Is that okay?
Not to worry! He is learning even though YOU don’t see him participating. Pushing children to perform has no place in an Early Childhood program of any kind. We believe that you - the parent - is the child’s most important teacher, and home is the most important place for that learning to grow. When you stop and think about it, you already know that success should be measured more by what a child does all the rest of the week than what he does in the 45 minutes at Kindermusik class. And remember, Kindermusik is about process, not performance. Every child can be successful in a Kindermusik class, not matter what developmental level he is on. So have a blast dancing, singing, and playing instruments together at home the way we do in class! Before you know it, the same thing will happen at the studio.
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My child has special needs. Is Kindermusik for her?
Absolutely! Autistic children, children with speech difficulty or delays, children with Down’s syndrome, hearing impaired children and those with other physical, emotional and learning disorders have generally thrived AND improved with Kindermusik. What the program can do for children with special needs is ten-fold greater than even what it does for those without disabilities. NOTE: we can meet the needs of your child best if you let us know of any special needs or concerns when you register your child.
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I have a Kindergartner. Should I start him in Young Child, or start him with private instruction on a “real” instrument like a piano?
Young Child uses “real instruments”, like an accurately pitched glockenspiel, a dulcimer and recorder. Using the principles of Suzuki, Kodaly, Dalcroze and Orff, students explore many facets of the musical experience-speaking, singing, moving, dancing, listening, creating and playing instruments, as well as learning to read and write music. Young Child helps every child develop a confident, joyful voice for singing and speaking as well as essential building blocks for a future of learning. Kindermusik Educators who are also private piano teachers tell us those children who begin lessons much before 7 or 8 are not any farther ahead of the child who begins at a later age. Kindermusik is foundational to ALL the activities your child will want to do - soccer, private music lessons, reading, math, making friends and more!
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Can I bring siblings to class?
At Microtone Music, our policy differs from many other studios in this regard. We believe Kindermusik is a “family activity”. Therefore, if a sibling is enrolled in their own class, you may bring that sibling to another child’s class, as long as you contact us first, and they are not disruptive to a younger sibling’s class. If a child has their own class to look forward to, they can more easily sit with mom and participate with bouncing, rocking or dancing with brother or sister. Class often becomes a special bonding time between mom or dad and siblings. Infants are welcome in a sibling’s class at no charge until they are mobile. (Which means they can go get their own rhythm sticks!) All siblings are always welcome to participate in “family time”, at the end of each Imagine That! or Young Child class. Please contact us if you have any other questions.
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What is your make-up policy?
If your child misses a class, we are happy to accommodate up to four make-up classes per semester. These classes must be made up during the same semester, unless special arrangements are made. Please contact the teacher either before or after your missed class to attend any open class. NOTE: You must contact the teacher, as not all classes will have room to accept make-up students.
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What is your refund policy?
Like other activities your child is enrolled in, whether swimming, dance or soccer, when you register, we reserve a space in the class for your child for the entire semester. As classes have a maximum number of children we can accept, we unfortunately sometimes have to turn away students, because your space is entirely committed to your child, and we will not give it away, or double book. As our registration form states, $50 is due with registration and is NON-refundable. Our registration form also states that “With this enrollment, I am committing to pay for the entire semester.” In general, as you will find with other activities your child is involved in, we do not give refunds after the first day of class. There are of course, special circumstances, such as a move out of the area, but these are dealt with on an individual basis. If you would like to check out a class BEFORE enrolling, we would be happy to schedule a FREE preview visit with us at any time.
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Do you offer a sibling discount?
If you have a child currently enrolled in one of our classes, we are pleased to offer you a 15% discount off the second and subsequent child(ren)’s tuition. If you are registering more than one child for the same class, the first child will receive a full set of the required Home Materials and the second will receive a discounted sibling kit. If your children are registering for different classes, each will receive a full set of Home Materials. This discount is NOT displayed in the posted tuition prices; it will be deducted on our end before your card is charged.
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How do I make a payment?
If you have not yet registered for a class or classes, you may register and pay with your credit card at our secure registration page. If you have already registered, you may login to your parent portal to see what classes you are currently registered for, view your balance and payment history, or make a payment. You may also pay by check. Please make payable to Microtone Music International, Inc. You may bring your payment to your first class, or mail to: MMI, Inc.
103 Hardesty Rd.
Stamford, CT 06903
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What is your inclement weather policy?
If the Greenwich school district is closed due to inclement weather, the Microtone Music studio will be closed, unless you hear otherwise from your teacher. If the school district is running late, the Microtone Music studio will remain open, unless you hear otherwise from your teacher. Because of the nature of our year-long schedule, we only have room on the calendar to schedule one additional day per semester for makeups due to weather. If you cannot attend this makeup, you may makeup any missed days due to inclement weather at any open class. This policy is in addition to the 4 makeups allowed per semester for classes you miss due to other reasons.
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