Music Together® classes for babies and their grownups
Babies are born musical! In Tam Tam’s Babies classes, you and your baby experience music through engaging activities like finger plays, gentle movement and touch, songs without words and playful musical activities. We create a joyful environment where you and your baby can bond and explore music together. You’ll sing with live voices, explore a variety of instruments, and discover ways to make music part of your everyday life.
Based on the research-based Music Together® approach, our classes support babies’ musical development from the very beginning. And just as importantly, they give you time to slow down, connect with your baby, and enjoy making music together.
The music activities and materials are designed for parents who want to learn as much as possible about music development in infants.
Ready to join us? Find a class that works for your family and enroll for the semester, or try a class first.
What happens in a Babies music class?
Babies don’t need to be able to roll, sit or crawl to participate in music. From the very beginning, they are listening, watching, feeling the beat, and becoming familiar with the sounds and patterns of music.
In our classes, you’ll have opportunities to:
- Sing to your baby. Your familiar voice is one of your baby’s favorite sounds. You don’t need to sing in tune or know the songs beforehand.
- Move together. Rock, sway, bounce, dance, and feel the beat together.
- Explore music with your whole body. Gentle touch, movement, changes in tempo, and playful sounds help your baby experience music in different ways.
- Discover instruments. Explore the sounds of simple instruments and musical props together.
- Connect with other families. Share an hour of music-making with grownups and babies who are discovering the world, just like yours.
You will also learn songs and musical activities you can revisit at home — during playtime, diaper changes, walks, or those everyday moments when a familiar song helps you reconnect.
Why start music classes so early?
Children begin learning music long before they can sing a recognizable tune or keep a steady beat on their own. They experience musical patterns through listening, movement, repetition, and the people around them.
Think about how children learn to talk: they hear language long before they say their first words. Music develops in a similar way. Babies benefit from hearing a variety of musical sounds and seeing the people they love participate.
Our goal isn’t to teach babies to perform. It’s to give them (and you) rich, enjoyable musical experiences that can grow with your family.
Does my baby need to do anything?
Not at all!
Your baby might watch quietly, look around, kick their legs, reach for an instrument, make sounds, or fall asleep in your arms. All of these are perfectly welcome ways to be part of class.
There’s no expectation that babies perform, follow directions, or respond to a song in a particular way. They’re absorbing music through repeated experiences, and you help make those experiences meaningful by singing, moving, and playing with them.
And if your baby needs to feed, be changed, or take a break, that’s okay, too.
Do I need to be musical?
Absolutely not.
You don’t need a beautiful singing voice, musical training, or any previous experience. Your baby doesn’t need a professional performer, either. They benefit from the familiar voices and playful participation of the people who care for them.
In Music Together, grownups aren’t an audience watching a music teacher put on a show. We’re all making music together. When you sing, move, and explore sounds, you’re showing your baby that music is something we do, not just something we listen to.
You might surprise yourself by how many songs become part of your family’s everyday life.
More than a music class
Life with a baby can feel full of responsibilities, new information, and competing demands. A weekly music class gives you a regular time to put distractions aside, be present with your baby, and enjoy something together.
You’ll meet other families at a similar stage of life, build a repertoire of songs you can sing at home, and discover that even the simplest musical moments can become part of your relationship.
You don’t have to entertain your baby every minute. You don’t have to get it right. You just have to be there, making music together.
Babies class details
- Age range: Pre-crawling infants from birth to 7 months old at the start of the semester.
- Class length: 45 minutes of music and movement.
- Class size: Typically 4-12 babies with their grownups.
- Experienced teachers: Classes are led by teachers trained in the Music Together approach.
- Materials to take home: A collection of songs and a parent guide to help you continue making music at home.
What if my baby is ready for a Mixed-Age class?
Babies are welcome in any of our Mixed-Age Music Together classes if the Babies class schedule doesn’t work for your family.
If your baby is approaching 8 months or is already crawling, we encourage you to consider a Mixed-Age class, which welcomes children from birth through age five.
In a Mixed-Age class, babies experience music alongside toddlers, preschoolers, and their grownups. Older children may be ready to move, sing, and explore instruments in more active ways, while babies listen, watch, move, and absorb musical experiences at their own stage of development.
Each child takes away something different from the same musical experience. And for grownups, it’s a chance to see how children at different stages engage with music in their own ways.
Not sure which class is the best fit? We’re happy to help you decide: just email Tam Tam’s director at contact@tamtambrooklyn.com
Find your Babies class at Tam Tam
Tam Tam offers Music Together® classes at welcoming neighborhood locations in Brooklyn. Choose a class based on your family’s schedule and location, and join us for a semester of singing, moving, playing, and learning together.
Ready to make music together?
Frequently Asked Questions
What age are Babies classes for?
Tam Tam’s Babies classes are designed for pre-crawling infants from birth to 7 months old at the start of the semester. If your baby is approaching 8 months or is already crawling, our Mixed-Age classes are a better fit.
What are the benefits of taking a music class with my baby?
Music gives babies opportunities to listen, move, explore sounds, and connect with the people around them. In class, you’ll sing, move, and play together while your baby experiences musical patterns through repetition and familiar voices.
You’ll also meet other parents and caregivers with young babies, build community, and learn songs and activities to enjoy at home. You don’t need any musical experience to participate.
How long are classes, and what happens during a session?
Babies classes are 45-minute sessions filled with singing, movement, gentle touch, instrument exploration, and playful musical activities. The pace is designed with young babies in mind, with room for their changing needs throughout class.
How many families are in each class?
Our Babies classes typically have 4–12 babies with their grownups, creating opportunities to make music together and get to know other families.
What materials do families receive?
Families receive a collection of songs and a parent guide to help bring the music home. You’ll discover ways to incorporate singing and movement into everyday routines, from playtime to diaper changes and quiet moments together.
Can another caregiver bring my baby?
Yes! Parents, grandparents, nannies, and other regular caregivers are welcome. Babies benefit from sharing music with the familiar grownups in their lives.
What should I bring?
Come comfortably dressed and ready to sing and move. Bring a blanket to spread on the carpet under your baby. We’ll provide the musical activities and instruments.
Can my baby attend a Mixed-Age class instead?
Absolutely! Babies are welcome in any of our Mixed-Age classes if the Babies class schedule doesn’t work for your family. These classes welcome children from birth through age five.
Babies can listen, watch, move, and absorb musical experiences alongside older children, each participating at their own stage of development. If your baby is approaching 8 months or is already crawling, we encourage you to consider this option.
What if my baby cries, needs feeding, or takes a nap during class?
That’s completely fine. Babies have their own rhythms, and there is no expectation that they stay quiet or participate in a particular way. They may take a nap, too, once when they have taken in all that they can process 🙂 You can feed, cuddle, change, or comfort your baby as needed. Simply being together in a musical environment is enough.
Can I try a class before enrolling?
Yes! Trial classes are available, subject to availability. If you’re ready to join us, you can also enroll directly for the semester.
It’s never too early to start making music together. Just as children learn language by hearing the people around them speak, they begin learning music by hearing the people around them sing.