As a baby is taken out of his stroller, he looks around and takes in the room. His eyes light up as he sees the instruments and band members welcoming everyone inside. He starts clapping and dancing before the class even starts.
As parents and their babies trickle in, the anticipation and happiness is practically tangible, filling the room where Little Maestros all started 12 years ago at 344 East 69th Street. It’s not long before the other babies start to feel the energy and, they too, start to smile.
Little Maestros offers a musical learning program for parents and their children. They offer classes for infants, toddlers, and even siblings. Most parents start to enroll their children at the age of 3 months. But joining Little Maestros is more than just signing up for a class. When you enroll at Little Maestros, you become part of Maestroville, as owner and founder Marni Konner describes it. The program provides parents with opportunities to meet people who have kids the same age, and to form friendships and relationships with them.
The class begins with the welcoming ritual and attendance song. This part of the class focuses on relationship building, as the band members go around the room making the children—and parents—feel welcome and recognized.
“What’s in the box?” a class leader named Katie asks the class as the children and parents scoot closer to find out. “Drums!”
Each student gets to play with his or her personal drum. These instruments fascinate the little ones. Some decide to shake and bang their drums, while others push them across the floor.
“I got a feeling, wooo hooo, that tonight’s gonna be a good night,” the band members sing while the students play their drums. As they sing, the students become captivated. Several crawl closer to the musicians, while others dance and laugh with their parents. The infectious rhythm of the class has underscored the program from the very start.
Before she founded Little Maestros, Konner had always loved both music and children. After working in marketing for Atlantic Records in the 90s, she became inspired to put her two passions together, and Little Maestros was born in 2002.
Fast forward 12 years, and Little Maestros has gained a steady and popular following through social media and “Word of Mom,” as Konner says. Parents travel with their children from near and far to participate in the award-winning music class. In 2013, Little Maestros won the Red Tricycle Award for Best Music Class in NYC, and the program also holds the title of Best Music Class from Nickelodeon’s Parents Pick Awards. Of course, the momentum of success is thanks largely to Konner’s passion for the Little Maestros’ mission.
“I put my heart and soul into this company and I truly love what I do. I love the people who work here, the people who come here, the music we sing, and I love the curriculum,” she says. “It really is a dream come true, I’m just blessed.”
Little Maestros has also grown in many ways since its founding. The company now has multiple locations throughout the city, with more teachers, songs, and instruments than ever. Plus, parents can hire Little Maestros to perform at their child’s birthday parties, play groups, and outdoor activities.
During Little Maestro classes, adults are just as important as the children. “We try to appeal to the adults as well as the kids, because they feed off of each other,” Konner says. If the parents get involved in class, the children will follow in their steps and get the most out of Little Maestros. The classes help children build self-esteem, gross motor development, and phonetic awareness; and they also teach respect, responsibility, and many other important lessons.
At Little Maestros, everything is early childhood educator-approved. Students are entertained by a live band that plays a variety of musical genres, and enjoy musical story time and a puppet show. Each week they learn language development, and are introduced to a different shape, number, color, animal sound, or sign language, all through music, Konner explains. “Music is one of the first things that you can introduce to babies and can truly enjoy it with your child,” she adds.
The children even get to play age-appropriate instruments along with the band. “Anything that you can shake or tap, we’ve got it,” Konner says.
A great deal goes into making the classes run smoothly, and what appears to be effortlessly. Performers are comfortable and proud to perform the curriculum, Konner says, adding that this ultimately translates to a top-notch performance.
“It’s the real deal, real quality,” she goes on to explain. “Our crown jewel is the caliber of our talent and the quality of our original music that, at this point, the class runs so seamlessly…that the performers make [it] look effortless, but there is so much that goes into their training and carrying the Little Maestros philosophy.”
Finally, at the end of each class there is a dance party where the children can let loose and boogie down, followed by a calming ritual that includes bubbles and soft music. As the bubbles float throughout the room, the children chase after them trying to pop and catch them. Each and every child will leave the class with a smile on their face, and a song buzzing in their brains.
For more information on Little Maestros, visit littlemaestros.com.
