What: University of North Texas’ Early Childhood Music program offers music classes for children from birth to 5 years old. The classes are designed to accelerate childrens’ development in song, rhythm and expressivity.

When: There will be a 10-week session held Fridays from Sept. 8 – Nov. 10 and Saturdays from Sept. 9 – Nov. 11.

Where: Room 115 of the Music Annex Building, at the corner of Avenue C and Highland in Denton (1630 W. Highland St.).

Cost: The cost for the infant class (for newborns and babies up to to 24 months old) is $150 and $170 for children ages 2 to 5 years old, with a $20 application fee per family. Families who enroll more than one child will receive a 50 percent discount for each additonal child. Visit the Early Childhood Music program page for more information or to register. Registration is now open and required by Sept. 18.

Parking: On Fridays, a Parkmobile lot is available at the corner of Highland Street and Avenue C for $2.25 per hour. Saturday parking is free. For more information on parking, visit the transportation website or view the UNT parking map here.

DENTON (UNT), Texas — Studies have shown that the first five years of a child's life are fundamentally important to their growth and learning achievement. Nurturing musical development early maximizes children’s musical learning opportunities and provides them with the readiness needed for music instruction later in life. The University of North Texas College of Music's Early Childhood Music Program exposes young children – infants to age 5 – to a rich, music-filled environment in which they participate in listening, vocal exploration and music babble. These skills eventually lead to beat competency and accurate singing.

“With your child, you will sing and chant traditional folk songs and rhymes, sing a variety of songs without words in a variety of tonalities and meters, explore musical instruments and participate in fun beat and movement activities,” said Kateri Lavacek, assistant director and instructor for the program. “These classes will fill your little one with a sense of wonder, imagination, and the building blocks of music that he or she will benefit from throughout life.”

The fall 10-week sessions will be held Fridays from Sept. 8 – Nov. 10 and Saturdays from Sept. 9 – Nov. 11 in Room 115 of the Music Annex Building, which is located at the corner of Avenue C and Highland in Denton on 1630 W. Highland St. Friday attendees will have to pay for parking, which is available in the Parkmobile lot at the corner of Highland Street and Avenue C. Parking is free on Saturday. For more information on parking, visit the transportation website or view the UNT parking map here.

The sessions will be divided into four different age groups:

• Infant – 0 to 24 months
• Toddler – 2 to 4 years
• Pre-K – 3 1/2 to 5 years
• Multi-age – 0 to 5 years

The 10-week program is $150 for infants and $170 for all other age groups. Families who enroll more than one child will receive a 50 percent discount for each additonal child. The sessions for infants will be 30 minutes in duration, and the other sessions will be 40 minutes.

The schedule for the classes is as follows:

Friday Sessions

• Infant: 9:30 – 10 a.m.
• Toddler: 10:10 – 10:50 a.m.

Saturday Sessions

• Infant: 8:30 – 9 a.m. and 9:10 – 9:40 a.m.
• Toddler: 9:50 – 10:30 a.m.
• Multi-age: 10:40 – 11:20 a.m.
• Pre-K: 11:30 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.

“It is so exciting to see the growth these children have during the sessions,” said Lavacek. “I have seen such incredible musicianship from the youngest of babies and it is so amazing to see how they internalize and then express themselves musically.”

Parents are required to be present with their children for each class. To register, visit https://musiced.music.unt.edu/ecmusic/registration. For more information, call 317-213-3763 or contact Kateri Lavacek at ecmusic@unt.edu.

About UNT's Early Childhood Music Program

Directed by Warren Henry, associate dean of academic affairs in UNT's College of Music, the Early Childhood Music Program aims to maximize children's musical learning opportunities. Classes differ according to the age levels and readiness of the children, but all classes include songs, chants, movement and instrument exploration.