When Tyler Connolly was just six months old, he and his mother began to spend 45 minutes each week listening to different types of music, rocking back and forth and exploring musical objects. While this scenario might not seem fantastic, what makes it unique is that the Connollys, of Belleville, Ill., don't do this at home -- nor do they do it alone. Instead of using their own compact disc collection, pounding on the family piano and dancing in the living room, Tyler and his mother are among a growing number of parent-child couples taking music appreciation one step further.

For the Record
According to promotional literature, "Kindermusik is an early childhood music and movement program based on the beliefs that every child is musical. Every parent is the child's most important teacher. The home is the most important learning environment. And based on research, music nurtures a child's cognitive, emotional, social, language and physical development."

Taught by trained men and women, many of whom possess degrees in music and/or education, the Kindermusik program involves newborn babies through 7-year-olds arranged in age and developmentally appropriate classes. Kindermusik boasts that between those ages, parents will see "a developmental evolution in language skills, emerging literacy, listening, problem solving, social skills, self-esteem and musicality."

Babies between the ages of birth and 18 months enjoy and participate in the program titled Kindermusik Village, which, according to the company, "... introduces multiple levels of activities appropriate for the different stages of development in this age range. Environments with diverse developmental stages in the first 18 months create an optimal learning setting for both children and parents. [Parents will] see how multiple levels of age appropriate activities stimulate babies to observe, imitate and learn."

To supplement what each parent-child couple does in class and to extend the Kindermusik experience into the home, CDs and other learning materials are often included in the class fee or are available for an additional purchase.

For the Baby
Can babies really gain that much from regular participation in a Kindermusik program? According to Debbie Young, a Kindermusik instructor, in Madison, Wis., they certainly can. "There are many studies out about the effects of music and other stimuli on baby's developing brain," Young says. "[Babies] benefit by exposure to various kinds of music, rocking ([which stimulates] the vestibular system), feeling tempos, exploring objects [and] listening to the CD at home."

Erin Connolly can agree with that. She literally gushes when asked to point out the positives of Tyler's participation in Kindermusik. "He gets to play with all kinds of different toys, musical instruments, bubbles and lots of other things," she says. "He loves when all the moms and babies dance around in circles. He loves to be face to face with the friends that he has made there. I truly believe that not only is Tyler building musical knowledge, but he is building friendships -- even at [this young age]."

For the Mother
"[Kindermusik classes are] as much for the moms as [they are for] the babies," Young says. "Moms learn lots of things they can do with their babies at home on a regular basis to increase their fun and bonding, as well as, exposing baby to music auditorally [and] kinesthetically. [This is done through] infant massage and exercise to music, rocking and quiet times with music, movements and dances to the CD, as well as, fun movements and chants to do."

"It was fun to participate and watch him have fun," says Shelly of Erie, Pa. And while she agrees that Kindermusik classes are definitely a great bonding tool, she also feels grateful for the companionship of the other mothers.

Truth be told, Kindermusik can be much more than a way of introducing baby to the wonderful world of music. "At times, being a stay-at-home mom can be quite isolating. It's hard to find different things to do and to meet other moms that you could do those things with," Connolly says. "I was so excited when I signed us up for Kindermusik, I just knew that not only would Tyler make new friends, but so would I."

For a Lifetime
Aside from the fact that Kindermusik costs money, there are no real drawbacks. "Kindermusik encourages children to move, think, play, feel, sing and speak creatively and differently than ever before," says Monika Jordan, a Kindermusik instructor, in Richmond, Texas.

As for Erin Connolly, the Kindermusik experience has gone beyond the classroom. "We plan on starting a fall play group and also getting together with a few other moms from the class," she says. "Good things have really come from taking our Kindermusik class."

While all of this is true, in the end, Kindermusik is a weekly reason to get out of the house and into an environment where crawling, walking, squirming, whining and even crying babies are welcomed with open arms. For an exhausted and often overwhelmed mother, that in itself is worth the fee.