Above and beyond every noble aspiration of teaching early childhood music in the community setting, the prime goal of each and every class of early childhood music has to be that children want to come back. Without children, you have no students to teach and no program to build.  Every class has to be enjoyable, and your approach to everything and everybody has to be positive. Little children sense your stress and distress. Preschoolers can verbalize their discontent at having to go to a music class that they do not enjoy.  Younger tots can shake their heads no when told they are going to music. Babies may not rebel until they walk into the classroom they remember. And disenchanted parents can pull their children out at any time, for any reason.

The realities of teaching early childhood music in the community setting make us fine hone our teaching, highlight the need for an early childhood music class that is musically meaningful as well as enjoyable, and make us better appreciate the wonder of each child and the commitment of each parent.  If classroom music in the public schools required that parents pay tuition, drive to class, brave the weather, keep a crabby child in tow, often with another babe in arms, haul strollers and diaper bags, and participate in classes weekly, music teaching in the public schools would surely improve!

A delightful, musical experience with young children assures that the children will want to come back, and that parents will bring them. One that truly compels the musical mind will assure that children get excited to come to class, and that parents happily bring their children to what they know cannot be experienced in a recreational class.