The Goals of Music Together
Music Together was founded with the goal of providing the highest quality music and movement experiences to as many young children as possible, involving their parents, primary caregivers and early childhood professionals in the educational process. Music Together is therefore dedicated to the thorough and professional support of Music Together licensees and teachers and their work with children and families. This support includes training, business mentoring, networking services, national and regional promotion, customer referrals, business technology, ongoing research and development, the production of audio, video and print materials, and the distribution of musical instruments and related products.
The most important benefit is being part of a teaching/learning community on the cutting edge of early childhood music education.
Each semester, the licensee pays a per-family service fee to Music Together LLC and receives numerous and significant benefits:
Family materials:
Every family receives two audio recordings and an illustrated songbook each semester. They also receive a parent guide to children’s music development the first semester they are enrolled.
Teacher materials:
Each semester registered teachers receive a family CD and a family songbook
containing color illustrations. They also receive teacher-edition materials: a CD with extended versions of selected songs for classroom use, and a songbook which includes ideas and suggestions for how to use each song and chant in the collection. Music Together LLC also offers a Teaching Video in DVD format and a Vocal Warm-up CD for each current song collection, which teachers may purchase for a reasonable fee.
Discounts and free shipping:
Center directors enjoy a 20% discount on instruments ordered from MTLLC, with no minimum order. They also receive free shipping on their first order of Music Together curriculum materials each semester. (This may not apply to centers outside the US.)
Director mentoring:
New center directors receive a comprehensive Center Director Manual as a guide in starting and maintaining your school or business. Each licensee also has access to on-staff mentors who are experienced center directors. In addition, there is an 800-number center director support line at which a staff member will return your call within 24 hours. Here are some areas for which support is offered:
• Educational: The MTLLC staff mentors are experienced in music and movement and can
answer your questions about curriculum, teaching techniques, classroom management, parent education, and parent communications.
• Business Start-up: The MTLLC staff can guide you in getting insurance, renting space,
setting registration, payment, and attendance policies, scheduling classes, and submitting necessary paperwork such as class lists and enrollment projections.
• Business Growth: MTLLC continues to provide support after the start-up phase. Mentors
can offer guidance in creating a business plan by helping center directors formulate their vision for the future, and assess what steps it will take to achieve that vision.
Marketing:
The beautiful, award-winning Music Together logo designs are available for center directors to use in publicity materials within the guidelines set forth in the Center Director Manual. MTLLC staff mentors can offer advice on how to effectively use these logos in advertising and brochure designs. (Trademark and logo guidelines apply to printed material, websites, and all other media.) The staff can also provide guidance on using purchased mailing lists as well as other promotional activities.
Newsletter:
Ongoing parent education and marketing support is provided through Music Together’s
national newsletter, the “PlayAlong.” Published twice a year, this newsletter is mailed to families enrolled in the program, and they continue to receive it for two years after their most recent enrollment. In foreign centers, the newsletters are provided in bulk to directors to be hand-distributed to families. Center directors also receive copies of “PlayAlong” to distribute at their demonstration classes each semester.
Music Together website:
Music Together LLC maintains a website including information about the program philosophy and its history. There are FAQs for parents, articles by the program co-authors, copies of the national newsletter since its inception, and an online store where child-safe instruments and other Music Together-related items can be purchased. The website also provides national and international referral services for families seeking Music Together classes (via the Class Locator) and for Music Together teachers seeking positions (see Teaching Opportunities). Both of these support directors in marketing and staffing a growing business.
Technology and online services:
Music Together LLC has developed customized database software called “EasyCenter.” This system enables directors to keep track of family information, payments, and enrollment history, handle registration, create class lists, and print or email registration confirmations. Licensees may also contract with an affiliated vendor for a personalized Music Together website, an online class make-up scheduler, and online registration software with credit card payment capability.
Directors weekend:
The annual Directors Weekend conference offers workshops on topics such as center
management, marketing, database and registration systems, and hiring and nurturing teachers. Workshops are geared not only for new directors but for mid-size and larger centers as well. The annual conference provides an invaluable opportunity for networking with center directors at different stages of growth and experience.
Learn more about what licensing is.