A Music Together class with MusicalMe might look like simple play: parents swaying with infants, toddlers shaking instruments, adults and children dancing in a circle. But behind the music is a carefully designed program rooted in decades of research.
“Music lights up all areas of the brain, and this program helps children, from the very beginning, to build their musical brain,” said owner Lizz Hodgin Weihrauch. “Musical learning supports all learning.”
Since 1996, MusicalMe Inc. has been offering the renowned Music Together early childhood music enrichment program for children newborn through age 5. To be musical is to be a person who can move to the rhythm accurately and sing in tune. That’s basic music competence, said Lizz.
What that does for a child can be transforming, but the parents get just as much out of it.
“The parents are also the students,” said Lizz. “A musical life begins at home. We teach you why and how.”
That focus sets MusicalMe apart. Rather than centering on performance or early technical mastery, the program trains caregivers to build what Lizz calls a “rich musical learning environment” in everyday life. Families leave each class with illustrated songbooks, weekly activities, and practical tools — simple ways to weave music into routines like car rides, playtime, and transitions.
“We’re constantly teaching them, ‘Here’s how you can do it at home,’” she said. “Take this idea, take that idea. Model music-making throughout your child’s day.”
The approach is grounded in research on early childhood development, particularly the role music plays in brain growth.
“It seems like magic, but it’s based on brilliant research,” Lizz said. “Music-making lights up the entire brain.”
Just as important is what MusicalMe works to undo: the widespread belief that musical ability is something only a few people possess.
“We really work at dispelling the idea that only some people are musically able,” she said. “Our children don’t care if you’re a good musician, but they know how they feel when you’re singing and dancing with them.”
Learning Together, Not Apart
Another defining feature of MusicalMe is its mixed-age, family format. Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers participate in the same class, each with their caregiver by their side.
“We want that because it mirrors natural learning,” Lizz said.
In that environment, younger children learn by observing older ones, while older children develop confidence and leadership.
“It gives the older ones pride when they see younger ones learning from them,” she said. “And it shows parents they can do this with their 2- and 4-year-olds together.”
In a culture that often separates children strictly by age, Lizz sees this as a crucial shift.
“That segregation is a disservice,” she said. “Older ones learn responsibility, younger ones are inspired. It’s especially important for kids who don’t have siblings.”
The shared experience extends to adults as well. Each child participates with a parent, grandparent or caregiver, creating a comfortable environment in which families learn together.
“The adults find community in it,” Lizz said. “People end up being friends.”
After class, families often head to the playground. For many, especially new parents, that connection can be vital.
“We’re so isolated at home with our kids. We don’t have extended family around — we need each other,” she said.
That sense of belonging isn’t the primary goal, but it’s a natural outcome.
“That’s a beautiful byproduct,” she said.
Built on Research and Intention
Since launching in 1996, MusicalMe has grown to multiple locations across Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties, serving more than 60,000 students. The program’s longevity, Lizz said, comes down to its depth and intentional design.
“There’s a lot of good stuff out there, but this is the best,” she said. “If you know of something better, I will switch.”
She points to the program’s ongoing research, teacher training, and curated music selection as key strengths.
“There’s nothing that has the depth of research, the integrity, the support for teachers, and the quality of the music,” she said. “There’s even a song advisory board.”
Songs are chosen carefully and reflect a wide range of cultures, exposing children to music beyond our nation’s borders.
A Personal Beginning
Though MusicalMe today is a structured, far-reaching program, its origins were deeply personal.
Lizz first encountered the Music Together curriculum through a childhood friend, Deanna DeCampos, who had discovered it years earlier. At the time, Lizz didn’t immediately connect with it. Her son had just been born with Down Syndrome, and life was complicated. Then, after trying some music therapy with him and growing tired of singing the same few silly songs, she went looking for that songbook Deanna had given her. She tried a song called “Wiggle” and followed the directions for parents.
“I sang the song as directed, including all the wiggling movement, and something lit up in his brain. I’m wiggling the craziest wiggles, and he’s responding,” said Lizz. “I thought, THIS is what I’ve been looking for!’”
Encouraged by her friend, Lizz traveled to Princeton, NJ, to train in the program and bring it to Santa Cruz County, launching her first classes with 35 students. Within a year, enrollment grew to 150.
“I had no idea I’d be doing this for 30 years,” she said. “Now we’ve served more than 60,000 students.”
Measuring Success Differently
Over time, some MusicalMe students have gone on to musical careers, including Jesse McMilin, who was the musical director of Mountain Community Theater’s recent production of The Addams Family, and jazz vocalist June Cavlan, who earned a scholarship to the University of Miami and now tours with the Sunhouse Singers vocal trio, which will appear at the Jamboree Jazz festival in Spain in May.
But Lizz measures success differently.
“The goal is not award-winning musicians,” she said.
To her, basic musical competence — moving to rhythm and singing in tune — is as essential as any other early skill.
“Do you know anybody who is musical who wishes they weren’t?” she said.
MusicalMe’s next 12-week Spring Session begins the week of April 6, with classes offered across its multiple locations and limited scholarships available to help make the program accessible.
As with much of its growth over the past three decades, enrollment is driven largely by families sharing their experience with others. The business offers a referral incentive — $50 for each new family who signs up through an existing participant.
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For more information, go to musicalme.com.