Children birth to 5 years with parent(s) or caregiver. Enjoy playful music immersion with singing, dancing, chants and fingerplays, instrument play & exploration, jam sessions, and improvisation in a supportive, community environment.

This is the essential Music Together class, one that a child can attend from birth through age five—and through all nine distinct song collections. Teachers lead informal but structured instruction where children may or may not participate as they choose and do so according to their developmental level. This class is freely mixed with ages from birth to age five where the activities focus on adult-child interaction rather than child-child. Many childhood educators consider mixed-age groupings beneficial, and the process of music development throughout this age range is similar.

This class is designed for parents and their pre-crawling infants nine months and younger at the time of registration.

Every child's development benefits from early exposure to music and movement. Because the early months are so important, Music Together offers two options for babies. Babies may attend a Mixed Ages Class, whether registered on their own or attending for free with an older brother or sister. Babies nine months and under (who are not yet crawling/independently mobile) may also take the special "Babies Class" offered as a one-semester introduction to Music Together (this class cannot be repeated). The music activities and materials are specially designed for parents to interact with their babies and to learn about music development in infants. Meet other parents of newborns and learn some fascinating music activities you can recreate at home with your baby. 

Introduction to our classic mixed-age Music Together class.

This class is designed for parents and their pre-crawling infants up to eight months at the time the session begins. The Mixed Ages class is recommended for crawling and sitting babies.

Every child's development benefits from early exposure to music and movement. Because the early months are so important, Music Together offers two options for babies. Babies may attend a Mixed Ages Class, whether registered on their own or attending for free with an older brother or sister, or they may also take the special "Babies Class" offered as a one-semester introduction to Music Together for babies up to eight months who are not yet crawling/independently mobile at the start of the session. The music activities and materials are specially designed for parents to interact with their babies and to learn about music development in infants. Meet other parents of newborns and learn some fascinating music activities you can recreate at home with your baby. 

The Music Together Big Kids class is for older children 5 up to 8 years old (4-1/2-year-olds may attend with director's permission). This 45-min. class encourages more independence (kids attend by themselves where possible) and reaches further toward music literacy while maintaining all the creativity and fun of the mixed-age class. We will add in more drumming to start learning aspects of the Rhythm Kids curriculum. All classes for older kids will be held at Valley Cat Studio in Valley Village.

[If a guitar/ukulele class is not offered, please reach out to Deborah for private lessons!]

The Music Together Adult Guitar or Ukulele (one or the other, not mixed) class is open to adults related to registered students only. It's an eight-week grownups-only gathering that starts week 3 of a 10-week session and is designed to teach beginners through intermediates in a mixed-stage atmosphere. No advanced skills will be taught. You provide your own guitar (nylon-string classical guitars recommended for beginners), capo, and tuner, and I will teach you how to play songs from the current Music Together collection, starting with the Hello Song (plus one song of your choice from outside the Music Together repertoire). Your kids will love you, and you will be showing them that even "old" people can learn a new skill (and it feels great)!

8-week guitar class comes with curriculum materials in a binder, one per person. Childcare is not provided; adults only. 

3-week ukulele class during the Holiday session comes with music for Music Together Family Favorites or Lullabies and some seasonal tunes. Teens/tweens are welcome to this class.

Music Together Online is a live class on Zoom, held weekly and recorded (teacher only) for on-demand use throughout the session. Class length is 45 minutes, plus time to greet and chat before and after class. The rest is pure Music Together educational fun in the comfort and convenience of your home! 

For the Music Together Online class, we invite all family members of all ages to participate for one price. The classic curriculum focuses on children birth through five, but the family musical interaction in your house (or the addition of a grandparent Zooming with us) is not only beneficial to your child—it's beneficial for you, too!

Each family with children must register separately, but a visiting cousin (or other class-age relative) may pay a drop-in fee if they're only able to be with us for one class. Siblings in same house are free; please enroll them so we have their names/bdays!

All registrants may invite one adult relative (or two on one device) to join a class during the session.

Gather outdoors with Valley Cat friends for a smaller-in-size but big-on-fun classic Music Together class! (See description of Mixed Ages 0 – 5.) Everybody brings their own blanket and, optionally, your own instruments (Valley Cat Music supplies all needed items). Proof of vaccination is required for all participating adults. Class families will be invited to join/added to the private Remind group text where weekly notes will be sent and class videos posted.

We welcome the whole family to join in this important family music experience, and any caregiver—parent, grandparent, nanny—can bring children to class.

Whether you've never held a guitar or ukulele or you're dusting off an old friend that's been sitting in your closet/garage for decades, Deborah will teach you the basics or fill in the gaps in your self-taught adventuring... plus specialty skills, depending upon what songs you want to learn. 

Kids 8+ and adults of all ages can learn:

• String names and how to tune
• Chord shapes for A – G, including Major, minor, and 7 (+extras like maj7, sus4 or 2, no 3rd)
• Strum patterns and how to read them on various charts (+chucking)
• Picking patterns
• Healthy body mechanics to play without pain/injury
• How to play your favorite songs (even if they weren't recorded using uke)!

What you will not learn from Deborah:

• How to play a bar chord
• How to play tabulature (TABs), except for small sections of a song, like an intro or interlude (think opening of "Best Day of My Life"); I can read them and teach you how to read them.
• Electric guitar solos :-)

BENEFITS OF ZOOM LESSONS:

• All Lessons Are Recorded! That means I can send you the recording for use during the week or if you have to miss a week;
• No having to transport yourself, your child, or your instrument to my studio in Valley Village (save gas $$$)
• Evening lessons are available (put your child to bed and give yourself 30 min. of stress-relieving mental healthcare)
• Anywhere you are, you are welcome!

Song charts and video links are sent via text or email. During a lesson, I will occasionally share my screen, so computers are preferred for lessons, but phones/tablets can work, as well.

(See description for Zoom lessons.)

BENEFITS OF IN-PERSON LESSONS:

• Improper or unhealthy body mechanics can be corrected/assisted instantly;
• We can play together and hear each other simultaneously;
• I can assess tuning issues with your instrument myself;
• I can move your fingers into correct chord shapes if words aren't sufficient;
• I will teach younger children in person: 5y+ on uke or child-sized guitar (8+ via Zoom)
• You get to visit a new place -- a sanctuary of music-making to look forward to each week!
• If you have a child, there's lots to do in my music studio (or Valley Village Park a few blocks away);
• If you're dropping off a child, there's a Starbuck's two blocks east & Marie et Cie four blocks west.