Developing potential, enriching lives and creating community since 1944 
Music Classes for Babies, Toddlers, Pre-Schoolers & Kindergarteners
Most young children naturally respond to music. With spontaneous delight, they listen intently, sing along, and move to the beat.
View our Spring 2023 classes here
At Hoff-Barthelson, our teachers build on these early inclinations, guiding the development of music-making skills while instilling a deep enjoyment of music. Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a renowned teaching method that pairs music and movement is the basis for our music classes for babies and toddlers. The Dalcroze method fosters the development of mind and body in young children, and we are proud that Hoff-Barthelson is known for one of the largest faculties of Dalcroze-trained and certified teachers in the United States.
Weekly classes for preschoolers incorporate exercises and games that involve singing, moving, improvising, and using small percussion instruments to promote keen inner hearing and rhythmic sensitivity.
Appealing, colorful materials such as balls, hoops, scarves, and puppets inspire learning activities and appeal to the imagination. Even the very youngest children develop focus, spatial awareness, fine and gross motor skills, social skills, and the ability to work with others—all while having fun together.
HOW TO REGISTER
Enrollment for most early childhood classes is ongoing throughout the year, and tuition is pro-rated based upon time of enrollment.
Go to our Registration Site.
Music Classes for Babies and Toddlers include…
Parent-Child Classes
The youngest students (9 months to 3 years) start with parent-child classes, where a joyful bond grows between children and their adult caregivers as they sing together, listen, and move with the music.
Child-Only-Classes
Beginning at age 3, we offer a variety of music and movement classes for children who enjoy attending music class independently. A special transitional class prepares children to move from the parent-child class format to the child-only class format.
Your Child’s First Instrument
Older 3-year-olds through kindergarten students may take the first steps in learning to play an instrument in hands-on First Instrument Classes. Group classes in piano, violin, flute and guitar introduce the joy of making music with others while teaching basic playing technique, and foundational musical concepts.
Our Violin Together class prepares young children for participation in the Suzuki Violin Program. Aspiring violinists begin playing on foam violins (Foamalins) and graduate to child-size instruments, taking their first steps toward proper violin position and playing.
Guitar Together is an enjoyable hands-on guitar class in which children learn the basics of guitar technique and participate in activities away from the guitar that develop sensitivity to pitch, rhythm, and musical expression. Students play on appropriately sized guitars (Guitalele or Requinto guitars). We encourage them to continue on to study guitar, mandolin, and other string instruments privately.
Children gain a foundation in flute technique in our Flute Together classes while developing sensitivity to pitch, rhythm, and musical expression. They also develop the ability to read and play music together. Students play on Nuvo Flutes, a high-quality, specially sized and constructed instrument ideal for young beginners.
Piano Together is designed for children preparing for private piano instruction. Class time is divided between learning the basics of technique at the piano and activities away from the piano that develop children’s sensitivity to pitch, rhythm, and musical expression.
