Music Together is an internationally recognized early childhood music program for children from birth through age five. First offered to the public in 1987, we pioneered the concept of a research-based, developmentally appropriate early childhood music curriculum that strongly emphasizes and facilitates adult involvement. And our ongoing research keeps us up to date with the latest discoveries about musical development in young children.

Central to our approach is the knowledge that young children learn best from the powerful role model of parents and caregivers who are actively making music. The program brings families together by providing a rich musical environment in the classroom and by facilitating family participation in spontaneous musical activity in everyday life.

Music Together is committed to helping families and caregivers rediscover the pleasure and educational value of informal music experiences.

ClefTone Studios brought Music Together to the Rockville area in the summer of 2003 with one class of ten families. We have grown over the years primarily through word of mouth and now bring music into the lives of more than 200 families each semester. We offer classes seven days each week in Rockville, Potomac, Gaithersburg, Kentlands, and Poolesville (for current class locations, click here). Our goal is to help everyone, parents and children alike, discover (or rediscover) the joy of making music as a family.

Terri Winkler, Director, has taught early childhood music for more than 20 years. In 2003 Terri successfully completed the Music Together teacher's training developed by the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, New Jersey. In 2006 she was awarded Music Together Certification Level I for outstanding achievement in teaching, musicianship, program philosophy, and parent education. Terri has a BA in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, and has worked as a musician and music teacher for more than twenty years - teaching in her piano studio, leading a children's choir, and performing as a solo pianist and accompanist. In her pre-parenthood days, Terri even played in several rock bands (although her kids refuse to admit that their mom was ever cool).

Catherine Liddle, Instructor, spent six years as a Music Together parent participant before completing her teacher training in 2009. In 2014 she was awarded Music Together Certification Level I by the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, NJ. Currently, most of the music she makes is with her two children, but she played organ for fifteen years and sang in evensong choirs in college and graduate school. She has a Master's degree in Linguistics from the University of Oxford with an interest in children's language acquisition. She has been a member of Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity since 1984.

Mari Carlson, Instructor, returns to Rockville, her hometown, after 20+ years teaching and performing in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  She’s played violin since age three, never intending to make it a career.  She holds a bachelor’s degree from St Olaf College in religion and a master’s from St Paul’s Seminary in Pastoral Studies.  But music remains her passion and livelihood.  Along with private teaching, she enjoys playing in bluegrass and folk groups as well as classical chamber settings. Mari looks forward to sharing music with young families to establish a foundation for lifelong musicality.

New Songbook News!
Our new family songbook series is here! Each collection is brought to life through colorful and engaging illustrations by award-winning artists Jaime Kim and Gerald Kelley. Our books will inspire your family to play with music all week long. You'll find it helpful to learn the lyrics, as a jumping-off point for creative storytelling, and to learn more about the songs you're singing in class. Your child may enjoy snuggling with you and singing through the whole book at once—or opening to a page to tell you what song they want to sing!  As part of your tuition, you will also receive a CD and digital downloads with each session's music. along with engaging content and activities through our online Family Music Zone AND our Hello Everybody app.