Lower-elementary home music course in 3 Levels for grades K-2.
Children thrive on music. Just watch the joy on their faces when they’re listening, singing, and dancing along. Join me once a week as we immerse ourselves in music-making. We’ll sing, play games, and revel in general silliness – while your child builds a solid musical foundation through our play. Includes song recordings and songbook for home use all week long. Younger siblings participate happily at their own level of development.
Come Jam With Me, in a Nutshell
* 3 Levels, 4 seasons each
* A new collection of songs/singing games for each season – MP3s that you can download to your devices
* Songbook and Parent Guide – downloadable as PDFs to print out
* 10 engaging half-hour video parent-child interactive classes (Fall, Winter & Spring only), recorded live with Come Jam With Me creator Lui Collins – kids are up, moving, having fun with their grownup
* Fun ear-training games with solfège, Curwen hand signs, and rhythm patterns, with an intro to music literacy as we write, first, ti-ti ta’s, and later, in Level 3, notes on a music staff
* Based on the teachings of Hungarian music educator Zoltán Kodály
* Informally taught, so it’s accessible and appropriate for siblings of any age
* All affordably priced at $125 for a full level, or $45 per individual season with classes (Fall/Winter/Spring) and $12 per Summer, for song MP3s and songbook only.
Sample class
Would you like to try out a Come Jam With Me class before you jump in? Click here and join me in an actual Level 2 class!
FAQs
What level should I sign up for?
In general, Levels 1, 2 and 3 are designed for children in grades K, 1 and 2. Ideally, you’d begin Come Jam With Me when your child is 5 and progress through the levels. If your child is starting here at age 6 or 7, depending on the amount of exposure they’ve had to early-childhood music, you may want to start right away in Level 2 or 3. With Levels 2 and 3, it’s important to start with the Fall season, as music literacy/ear training concepts are introduced sequentially.
How do the classes work?
Each class was recorded live with me, creator Lui Collins. I lead parent/child interaction throughout the class, getting you singing, moving, and having fun with your child. One of the benefits of using a recorded video, is that you can easily pause a class if you need a break. You can also rewind to repeat a section right away if you need more practice – or simply want to sing a song again or continue playing one of the singing games. Note that we take a break from classes over the Summer, and just encourage lots of singing with a new collection of summery songs (with songbook) for each level.
What are the components?
• singing and ear-training exercises
• solfege with Curwen hand signs
• rhythm exercises, verbal and written
• singing games, large and small movement
• parent participation in class and at home
Why these specific components?
• to help the child achieve or solidify basic music competency, tonal and rhythmic
• to lay the groundwork for formal instrument instruction when child is developmentally ready
• to strengthen audiation of intervals and tonality through solfege and hand signs
• to integrate tonal & rhythmic skills and build movement vocabulary and coordination through singing games
• to build a repertoire of songs for family, school and community enjoyment
• to build life-long skills for expression and sharing in community
• parent involvement supports learning in class and throughout the week
Our home life is already so busy, why add another activity?
Have you ever noticed that when you are at your busiest, your child needs your attention more than ever? When my kids were little, this was a cardinal rule. But I’ve found that when I take time to be fully present with a child, giving them my undivided attention for a while allows the rest of the day to go more smoothly. Children thrive on routines. Our weekly class offers you a time when you can set other things aside to spend a few minutes simply doing something fun with your child.
But why music?
I happen to love music for its own sake, just for the joy it brings me. But music is also a wonderful tool for grounding, centering, and calming – especially important when life is challenging and unpredictable. Singing requires breathing! We all – even as grownups – need to stop and breathe now and then. And after taking this focused and fun time with our children, we often find the rest of the day is more fun too.
Why involve the parents/caregivers?
Parent modeling and interaction are vital to a child’s music-learning process, regardless of a parent’s previous experience with music – and I will make it super easy for you to be part of this adventure! While designed to give our children a solid musical foundation, Come Jam With Me is for the entire family. The songs are selected to be engaging for adults, as well as kids. In addition to participating with your child in the weekly classes, I recommend that you listen together to the recordings regularly – while you’re cooking, cleaning house, running errands, etc – so the songs become familiar. I hope the songs will inspire lots of music-making on your own, as you weave them into your daily family life.
Testimonials
Hi again Lui, I just want to tell you again how much my kids are loving this Come Jam With Me! They both have memorized several of the songs and it is the first time they’ve requested I sing something other than ‘let it go’ at bedtime since…. Maybe January or February!! They were both so engaged this morning when we watched week 2. And the other day, Liam was singing one of the songs spontaneously and started clapping along to the beat – something I haven’t seen him do before!
– Kate, CJM parent
We have a very musical extended family, and in the past week, two different relatives have commented how much they like Lui’s songs–as relayed by a 2 and a 5 year old!!–and how impressed they are with the diversity of musical theory she brings to the kids. Lui’s deep musical talent and palpable joy keep us all calling for another verse, catering to the child’s craving of repetition while still captivating the adult’s attention with her musical nuance. Many of the songs have become a part of our daily soundtrack, when we’re home with our on-demand library of recordings and when we’re outside with our own voices to bring her music with us.
– Happy, singing parent
We did all of Music Together with Lui, and I had hoped to do the same with Kids’ Jam. But when my children started school and joined sports, getting to class became difficult. I was really excited about the prospect of Come Jam With Me. Lui is such a talented musician, wonderful teacher and beautiful spirit. Now we get to bring her into our home via technology. We can adjust the class to our personal needs, giving everyone two turns, and singing a song through one more time if the mood strikes. It has been a blessing for my family.
– Carrie, parent
Both of my children attended Music Together and Kids’ Jam with Lui. My 15 year old daughter sings constantly, can pick up a melody after hearing it once, and develops harmonies on the spot. My son is on the brink of adulthood now and has played guitar since he was 9. Music is a place of freedom for him, and while his friends scroll and game, he sings his heart out in his room to Garcia and Grisman. They are both deeply imbued with a musical ear and a song in their soul. My husband and I attribute the natural and deep relationship they enjoy with music to Lui. Thank you Lui for teaching our whole family to live in music.
– Leslie Chaison, parent