Dear Ms. Fran, Ms. Dana & The Arc Alliance:

Music Together – Children Enjoying Making Music

Music Together has made our kiddos little musicians!  “J” (3-5 years and known as “J” in class) and “A” (15 months) have enjoyed music class at The Arc for three semesters and wish each class they grow more excited and confident.  I signed on for the first 10-week session while “J” was involved in weekly speech therapy through the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit last September.  Her speech was significantly delayed and she was very uncomfortable in larger social settings.  “A” was just shy of 6 months when he came along for his first class and dozed through most of it.

I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to participate in this wonderful little class and recognize how fortuitous the timing of the offer to join was in our lives.  Having just relocated to this area I was looking for ways to stimulate “J’s” progress, meet new people and involve both children – along came Music Together!  Over the past 9 months I have watched my daughter flourish (socially and verbally) and become a lover of music and movement.  She and her baby brother drop everything at least once a day to plan “moosic class” together, our home is filled with egg shakers, and our car CD player has played the “Hello Song” thousands of times!

Ms. Fran’s passion and love of this program is tangible and her excitement is contagious.  “J” soaks up every last detail of class and mimics it all week with her brother and baby dolls – even the placement of Ms. Fran’s pitch pipe and Ms. Dana’s pattern of handing out instruments.  She talks of her friends from music class and is beginning to see first-hand how wonderfully different each family can be.  “A’s” interest and participation in this class has been a complete shock to me as I believed he would be too young to truly reap the benefits of music.  How incredibly wrong I was!  At just over a year he now actively participates in class and recognizes the songs instantly.  During a recent long car ride both kids were upset and grumpy; I popped in the Music Together Sticks CD and within seconds the car was calm, happy, and the only sound I heard was a preschooler singing along and a toddler gleefully tapping his bare legs to the tune of their favorite “Hello to…” lyrics.

Thank you to Ms. Fran, Ms. Dana, The Arc and the generous grant that brings this all together.  We are forever grateful for these memories and enriching experiences.

Sincerely,

“Anonymous”