Whirligig Music

Music Together classes with Moni have been an amazing growth experience for my 2.5 year old daughter. We started our first session in the Spring when she was a few months from 2. She hadn’t started preschool yet and most of her «peer» social interaction was with her older sister and her friends. When we started the classes I was excited for her to have her own «thing» and have some friends of her own, but she acted extremely shy … for most of the entire first session last Spring, barely participating. But I knew she loved the music and the class because she sang the songs at home and in the car and would say «Moni» and smile with so much affection :) So we had the summer off and started again this Fall and I couldn’t believe what a difference I saw in her. She is so engaged and participates in every song and smiles and has just totally blossomed. There are a variety of factors that I think went into this transformation, but I just want to encourage parents who have kids who are often feeling shy to persist and really give this amazing experience a chance. Participation is not the only sign that a child is getting a lot out of the class… there is so much deeper going on by just being there and watching and absorbing all the goodness of the group, the teacher and the different kinds of music and instruments. My daughter’s love of music has been so fun to watch and Moni has truly helped foster this. Plus the songs give us something to playfully sing together as a family — even my husband who listens to the CD in the car with them. Both my daughters sing together and its so fun to watch. Music and song can so incredibly help keep things playful, especially in «salty» moments of toddlerdom. Moni is thoughtful, sweet, passionate about what she does, and incredibly fun, creative and boisterous. She rocks, so glad we are doing this class with her!

Whirligig music has given my entire family an invaluable gift – a connection through and love of music that will last a lifetime. My older daughter began music class with Moni at just over a year old, and we started at an even younger age with my second daughter. What Moni provides with the Music Together program is so much more than just a music lesson! She creates a beautiful community, connecting children and parents, connecting families, connecting music. The music curriculum is so well designed for early childhood, and the songs are such an integral part of my children’s lives. My older daughter is now very successful in piano at the young age of five, with her teacher calling her a true protégé. She has the «ear» that I never had as a child, and I see my younger daughter developing the same. I attribute this entirely to Moni and the The Music Together program.

We continued with Moni at Whirligig for almost three years! School will probably interfere with our schedule in the Fall, and I’m certain that the absence of all of the joy and friends at Music Together will be felt. We never missed a class unless we were out of town, because the the songs, laughter and joy that fill that one-​hour class somehow manage to carry us through some of the toughest times in the rest of the week – hungry and cranky, fighting toothbrushing, crying in the car, protesting bedtime, you name it. We sing through most all of our rough spots – to calm, to laugh, to reassure, to find some language that we both speak when I think, «who is this alien child?» Thank you, Moni, and Music Together – we love you both!