Heartsong Music is celebrating 20 years of bringing families together through the joy of making music with the renowned Music Together program.

Founded in 2004, Heartsong Music is owned by Carey Youngblood, and operates out of an Austin-based dance studio and a recreation center in the Allandale neighborhood, as well as a church in Northwest Austin. Over the years, the school has taught over 30,000 students, with the number continuing to grow.

"The community aspect of our musical playground is key to the success of Music Together,” Youngblood said. “The program aims to give grown-ups the confidence and space to show and share their love of music-making with their children in a fun, safe and open space. When the children see and feel their grownup's musical joy, they too join in and experience the delight of making music for themselves, leading to the development of lifelong skills.”

Heartsong Music offers a variety of classes, including:
  • Mixed-age Classes: newborns through 5 years old. Children and their families sing, dance and play rhythm instruments together.
  • Generations Classes: newborns through 5 years old. Takes place at an assisted living facility and includes the residents at the facility.
  • Babies Class: nine months and younger. A one-semester introduction to Music Together and to early childhood music development.
  • Rhythm Kids Class by Music Together: 4 years old through second grade. Children learn to drum, sing, move to new rhythms, work in ensembles, conduct, improvise and play dynamic music games.
  • Canta y Baila Conmigo Class: newborns through 6 years old. Provides a culturally rich experience, where children acquire Spanish language skills through music and movement in a fun-filled classroom environment.
Studies have shown music can light up the brain by engaging the entire neurological system. When children sing, bounce, dance and play with music, in class or at home, at least eight areas of the child’s brain are stimulated at the same time, activating and strengthening neural pathways, and additionally helping children with social and emotional development and regulation.

“We do a lot of musical activities in class that are under the guise of play,” Youngblood said. “But play is so powerful. It is about so much more than just having fun. Play is the primary method by which young children learn and grow physically, emotionally, cognitively and socially.

And when they play with music, they begin learning the complex skills of singing in tune and accurately expressing rhythm in their bodies. In addition to these wonderful skills, making music decreases stress levels in parents and children alike. It brings us closer together and builds community with the other families in class, too. Our mission at Heartsong Music has been to make our world a better place by making it more musical one family at a time. We’re so thankful for the thousands of families who have made and are making our mission come true.”

To help celebrate the amazing work that has been completed over the past two decades, Heartsong Music is hosting a party; and we invite every student who has ever taken a class at the school to come along and celebrate with us.

Celebration details:Attendees will be able to chat with other students, be led in song by the teachers and celebrate the values of Heartsong Music.

“The business grew beyond my wildest dreams,” Youngblood said. “We’ve become this unified group of people making music, being silly, loving our children while dancing, singing, and laughing. We all are together, embracing life and creating a beautiful musical community in each class that we teach.”

To learn more about Heartsong Music and to start enrolling your children in classes, visit the website or call 512-371-9506.

The above story was produced by Senior Multi Platform Journalist Sierra Rozen with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of its "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.