Q+A With Camille McClain, Executive Director of Merry Music Makers
Today we had the opportunity to speak with Camille McClain, executive director of Merry Music Makers, early childhood music and movement educators. Merry Music Makers offers Chicago based group music classes, instrument lessons, jam camps, and parties for babies and kids. We were able to inquire about the age to start music education, as well as what makes a Merry Music Makers class unique.
In addition, Merry Music Makers is offering a free trial class of Music Together: Babies Only to our readers Wednedsay, Oct. 12 at 11am in Roscoe Village (3425 N. Damen Ave., Chicago, IL 60618). You can sign-up for a spot here!
Please share a bit about your background and your path to Merry Music Makers?
Before having my first child I had worked for a number of orchestras around the country and majored in music in college. But after I had my first baby, I realized that I didn’t really know how to relate to my baby musically outside of a short list of lullabies that I knew. In the new moms group I was in, I heard about a local Music Together class and signed up for a free trial. I immediately loved the joyful class with a simple, diverse mix of songs and appreciated the research-based approach to early childhood education. I also met some other local moms in class and we started hanging out at some local Andersonville playgrounds.
What can parents expect at a Merry Music Maker’s class?
You can expect to have a joyful 45-minutes of bonding time with your little one while meeting your neighbors. We offer weekly classes in a mixed-age approach, because we find that natural learning environment is what works best for families and for their childrens’ musical development. There are few activities in the city that embrace the idea of little ones learning from the big kids who are practicing their burgeoning musical skills, while the grownups around them set a strong musical example simply by following the teacher’s lead.
What age is best to bring my child to a class?
Music has no age range. Even babies in the womb respond to it! The best age to start class is as early as you feel comfortable joining a group activity with your baby. I brought my son in his carrier when he was less than a month old along with his 2yo big sister who loved showing off her new baby to her teacher and friends.
Can you talk about the benefits of music and a class like this for babies?
I think that any parent who has sung to their child can intuitively feel how their baby relaxes, which is super helpful at naptime. Babies are natural-born music makers who are born with their little ears tuned into their parent’s voices. In class, we help parents learn musical ways to interact and bond with their babies, support their neural development, and nurture their budding inner musicians.
What classes would you recommend for a new mother with an infant?
We do have a special Music Together: Babies Only class that we run once a session that is just for non-mobile infants. It’s a bit quieter and we alter activities to make them more infant friendly. But honestly, any Music Together: Mixed Age will fit any child: newborns through preschool. While Mixed-Age classes tend to be more high energy than the Babies Only classes, we’re working on the same- -songs in both classes. Plus our teachers are trained to be able to alter activities to work better for infants.
What makes the Merry Music Makers classes unique?
What really sets our classes apart is the caregiver participation. Research shows that children learn the language of music in the same way that they learn to speak–by watching and listening to the grown-ups around them. If you think about it, there are very few places in our culture where you can experience a group of adults singing and dancing together and that is how children have learned to make music for millennia. They start by watching and then try to join in as much as they can as they develop their ability to sing in tune and keep a steady beat in their bodies.
Is there anything else you can share with us about Merry Music Makers?
Our school has been around for 20 years now and we’ve enjoyed working with many amazing teachers over that time. One thing that sets our school apart is that we have a rigorous training program in our curriculum. We take caring, playful musicians and train them in early childhood music development, so that they become experts. One thing that I like to tell new teachers is that they get to be the first teacher that many families have for their little ones and that’s a super special gift. The connection that grows over time between teachers and their families is amazing to watch. It’s just one of many reasons that we only offer classes in sessions—to nurture connections between families and teachers to create a community of musical learners.
Please visit merrymusicmakers.com for more information about their services.