The Adams County Arts Council (ACAC) is bringing Music Together® classes back to its Arts Education Center (AEC) beginning in September. Ten-week sessions for families with young children will be held on Friday and Saturday mornings beginning on September 17 at the AEC, located at 125 South Washington Street, Gettysburg, PA. To register, please visit www.adamsarts.org or call (717) 334-5006.
The program’s director, Lisa Cadigan, previously offered Music Together classes at the ACAC from 2017 to 2019 as an artist-in-residence. Since then, Cadigan has joined ACAC’s staff as Arts Outreach Coordinator, and transferred the Music Together license to the Adams County Arts Council. “The license transfer gives us the ability to offer scholarships to low-to-moderate income families, which was something I wanted to do, but was not able to do as an independent contractor,” says Cadigan. “I am thrilled to be part of ACAC’s staff, to be able to re-start this wonderful program post-pandemic, and to ensure availability of high-quality music instruction to all residents of Adams County.”
Joining Cadigan to teach the classes is certified Music Together instructor Ronda Sprague, who also rents space at the ACAC to teach piano lessons. Sprague received a B.S. from the Butler University School of Fine Arts in 1983 and runs a successful private music studio (room2music.com), where she offers piano, flute, and early childhood music instruction privately and in groups. “I use a variety of contemporary teaching methods to help my students achieve their individual goals in the ways that are best suited to their learning styles,” says Sprague. “I was inspired by music as a child, and I have a passion to nurture the love of music in others. I look forward to joining the ACAC’s Music Together program and helping it grow.”
ACAC Executive Director Leona Rega is also enthusiastic to add Music Together to the ACAC’s list of program offerings. “Music Together classes are exactly the type of high-quality educational arts experiences we want to offer at the Arts Council for young children and their families. I’m very familiar with the curriculum of Music Together. I’ve seen firsthand how music and rhythm are key to the development of cognitive skills (memory, focus) in addition to taking turns and sharing. A personal favorite component of Music Together is the quality time a child has with their parent and or caregiver in the development of these skills while having fun. It truly is a program where parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings can participate together,” says Rega.
Music Together is a leader in research-based, developmentally appropriate music education. The curriculum offers music of exceptional quality, exploring a variety of tonalities, rhythms and cultures. “All children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate in music with confidence, provided that their early environment supports such learning. Music Together brings families together by providing a rich musical environment in the classroom and encouraging family participation in spontaneous musical activity at home within the context of daily life. Families get so much from these classes,” Cadigan explains.
An internationally recognized early childhood music and movement program for children birth through age seven, the Music Together curriculum was coauthored in 1987 by Kenneth K. Guilmartin (Founder/Director) and Rowan University Professor of Music Education Dr. Lili M. Levinowitz (Director of Research). The curriculum offers programs for families; schools; at-risk populations; and children with special needs, in over 2000 communities in 40 countries. The company is passionately committed to bringing children and their caregivers closer through shared music-making and helping people discover the joy—and educational value—of early music experiences.
To learn more about the Music Together program at the ACAC, look for Cadigan at the Arts Oasis on Lincoln Square on August 28 at 10 a.m. for an interactive demonstration, call (717) 334-5006, or visit www.adamsarts.org.