by Kate Lovegrove
Additional research by Emily Turner

Do you have a budding Beethoven on your hands? An Ella Fitzgerald of the toddler world? And if you do, how do you know?

I am tone death and proud of it, but I will never forget the moment when my darling one-year-old chirruped away at ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ in the back of the car. My God! I thought, unlike me, she can actually hold a tune. It was time to develop her gift.

Louisa Harmer’s Music for Toddlers
Friends in the know introduced me to Louisa’s music classes, one of the best kept secrets in West London. Hidden in a Brook Green back street, her studio is a feast of visual and aural stimulation for the under threes. Wind chimes, incense and mobiles assault the senses - and that’s before you’ve begun the class!

Louisa plays a grand piano and the children love it. She has a wonderful repertoire of songs, more Tchaikovsky than Disney, but that’s fine by me. The children join in by clapping, singing and playing on the percussion instruments that she provides. They move on to marching, dancing, waltzing and general inspired chaos before Louisa calms them down with some structured rhymes and songs.

The most extraordinary part of the whole class, however, is the end. Louisa requests everyone to lie down on the floor – this includes babies of six months – and plays classical music to them. She tells them to listen – and they do!

But do you know what I secretly like best about the whole class? You, as a mum, get to join in. It’s 9:30 on a Wednesday morning and I’m singing away with the best of them, tapping on drums, mucking about with shakers, being a tiger in a jungle, a bird in the sky. And all the other mothers, nannies and occasionally embarrassed dads are at it too. The bit at the end is a wonderful treat – lying on the floor all snuggled up with my little girl and listening to beautiful music. Maybe I’m not tone deaf after all.

When researching this article Louisa admitted to me her classes are just as much about “the child and carer coming into a relationship” as they are about developing a love and appreciation for music. Well, it’s happening for me. Even with a hangover. Don’t miss it.

So now your progeny has attended Louisa for a couple of years, what’s next on the music fast track? Learning an instrument perhaps? Dreaming up the score for a West End musical?

The Music House for Children
If either of these appeal you should head off to The Music House for Children at Bush Hall. This is an astounding facility and we are incredibly lucky to have it in West London. It offers pretty much everything you could wish for: in house classes on music and movement, music appreciation, group piano and violin; holiday workshops such as drumming and jazz; a choir; master classes and concerts; birthday parties... Phew!

With up to eighty five teachers on their books they are also the place to start if you are looking for a teacher for lessons at home. It is run by Emma who has tremendous energy and enthusiasm. She is very clear about the methods and motives behind The Music House for Children. A child can start at the age of three in the Music and Movement Class, go on to the Music Appreciation class, then be ready to learn an instrument. While taking weekly instrumental lessons the child could be singing in the choir, attending workshops and performing in concerts. By the end of this musical extravaganza, your darling one will probably be composing an aria at breakfast, a symphony at lunch and performing them all for you at tea.

Aah, the gift of music. As I write I hear my little girl intoning solemnly into her new karaoke kit. Actually, she’s not much good at it. In fact she sounds like a cat being tortured. Never mind. Even if I have mistaken a child’s natural enthusiasm for genius, it doesn’t matter. As both Louisa and Emma tell me, good music classes at an early age offer children a space in their soul for music in the future, an understanding and enjoyment that they will carry with them always. And that’s good enough for me.

Louisa Harmer’s Music for Toddlers
Classes: bookable termly or half termly, £10 per hour
Applegarth Studios, Augustine Rd, W14, Tues, Wed ams
Tel: 020 7603 3602

The Music House for Children
Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Rd, W12
website
Tel: 020 8932 2652

Other Music Classes in West London:

Amanda’s Action Kids
Imagine an aerobics class for the under-fives and you are coming close. A huge hit with Chiswick families (she regularly has 50+ kids), Manda has incredible energy and the children jump and dance to everything from Wind the Bobbin to Bob the Builder. She also uses a giant parachute that the kids love.

Classes: throughout the year, including half term and holidays. £5.50 per class, payable on a one off basis.
Chiswick Town Hall Mon, Wed, Fri am
Kensington Sports Centre, Mon, Tues pm
website
Tel: Amanda on 07946 707695

Blueberry Playsongs
Clara believes in the importance of ‘making music’ - i.e. using real instruments rather than tapes. Blueberry songs are largely sung to the guitar. Steve runs the Thursday Hammersmith class and combines traditional songs with more modern ones and a few that are Blueberry’s own.

Classes: bookable by the term - approx £5.50 per class
Holy Innocents Church, Paddenswick Road, W6, Mon, Wed, Thurs am
Etheline Holder Hall, 5b-7 Denby Road, W11, Tues, Thurs am
Tel: Clara on 8677 6871
website

Cadenza
Helen feels passionately that it is never too early to introduce kids to rhythm and melody. She starts off with traditional favourites, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, and moves on to some more unusual ones. What marks out this class is its commitment to the fundamentals of music. Toddlers were happily looking at pictures and clapping out el-e-phant, cat-er-pill-ar, don-key, cat! She also attunes them to pitch: high and then low.

A skilled musician herself, she uses recorder and clarinet to illustrate points. This is not to say the class is remotely technical - the kids love it. She makes her own props, from two little dicky birds to insy winsy spider.

Classes: bookable by the term or on a one off basis, in Chiswick and Ealing
email

Mini Music
If you have had enough of the Wheels On The Bus, this is the place to come. Harriet and Sharon write their own music, and there is definitely a funky feel to it. Babies as young as sixmonths happily bash away on home made drums (metal one side, soft the other), while the bigger ones don face paints and telescopes to be pirates. Judging from the participation from the audience, the songs are as catchy as any of the more traditional ones. (You can buy tapes or CDs to practise at home).

Classes: bookable in half-termly or termly blocks; approximately £5.50 per class. One free trial session.
Tabernacle, Powis Square, Chiswick Town Hall
Tel: Harriet on 020 8767 1352

Monkey Music
Monkey Music classes run throughout the UK. Each class is given a distinctive structure by the Monkey Music tape: traditional songs combined with some more unusual ones. A pink cloth monkey greets the children and features in some of the songs. Pinar runs the Notting Hill class. Her background is firmly musical - some of the other teachers are more drama-orientated.

Classes: must be booked in advance. Introductory session is free.

Etheline Holder Hall
5b-7 Denby Road, W11
Mon pm, Thurs pm.

St Joseph's Church
Bolton Road, W4
Mon am and pm, Tues am

Tel: Angie Davies on 01582 469242 / 766464
Fax: 01582 766464
website
Email