From the moment they are born, you feel an overwhelming urge to give your children the world. Then life gets in the way. There are time and financial constraints, social pressures, and conflicting advice. How do you give your children the most beneficial experience within the constraints of modern life? Easy. You do it through music.
Studies from around the globe have shown that, from a very early age, music lessons can have profound long-term effects that include improved language development, higher standardized test scores in math, improved graduation rates, and even decreased likelihood of drug and alcohol use. What Musikgarten offers is more than just an easy way to introduce your child to music. Our classes can play a critical role in your child’s social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development, as well as laying a pathway to musical proficiency. Moreover, Musikgarten provides dedicated time each week when you can bond with your child free from distractions and watch them grow into a confident, independent, and expressive young person.
These weekly classes are action-filled for toddlers (ages 15-months through 3 years of age) – full of energy, often on the move, always exploring and learning – and their parents. Together you’ll sing, chant, move, dance, listen, and play simple instruments, all activities that bridge the natural connection between music and movement through four wonder-filled semesters. Each lesson features movement activities for coordination, body awareness and control, exploration of space, and instruments such as rhythm sticks, jingles, rattles, drums, and resonator bars. The toddler class curriculums are:
We are very excited to announce that the Musikgarten programs will be offered FREE to our community starting in the Fall. CMS is very fortunate to be the recipients of a substantial bequest that has afforded us the special opportunity to give back to the community that has been so good to us. This program is presented to honor the memory of someone who loved music education and we hope to inspire future generations of music lovers. Toddler classes are offered:
- Monday 9:30am
- Wednesday 9:30am
- Thursday 9:30am
- Saturday 9:00am
- Please click here to enroll
Celebrate your preschooler’s (ages 3-5 years) growing independence and love of the outdoors with activities involving the four seasons in The Cycle of Seasons. Developed to build attention and self-expression, activities include singing, chanting, moving, focused listening, musical games, exploring musical instruments, creative movement and storytelling. The Cycle of Seasons nurtures your growing child’s ability to use language and participate in dramatic play within a musical context.
We are very excited to announce that the Musikgarten programs will be offered FREE to our community starting in the Fall. CMS is very fortunate to be the recipients of a substantial bequest that has afforded us the special opportunity to give back to the community that has been so good to us. This program is presented to honor the memory of someone who loved music education and we hope to inspire future generations of music lovers. Preschool classes are offered:
- Monday 10:30am
- Wednesday 10:30am
- Thursday 10:30am
- Saturday 10:00am
- Please click here to enroll
Your child is now ready for a learning program that includes singing, creative as well as structured movement, playing instruments and ensemble work, ear training and guided listening. This developmentally sound approach to music literacy builds symbolic thinking, concentration, memory, and self expression. The children start to work with written musical patterns, too.
In Music Makers your child will be engaged in activities that establish a solid music-making foundation. This class focuses on your child’s fascination with nature and develops a love of instruments. Your child will be introduced to the sounds of orchestral instruments individually, and then in the context of an ensemble. Such a listening foundation will lead to long-term success with music reading in future classes.
We are very excited to announce that the Musikgarten programs will be offered FREE to our community starting in the Fall. CMS is very fortunate to be the recipients of a substantial bequest that has afforded us the special opportunity to give back to the community that has been so good to us. This program is presented to honor the memory of someone who loved music education and we hope to inspire future generations of music lovers.
- Tuesday 5:30pm
- Thursday 5:30pm
- Click here to enroll in this class.
Double the Learning, Double the Fun! For Children Ages 5-7
Ideal for students who have graduated from the Music Makers curriculum or are brand new to music lessons. Taking piano lessons with a partner is a FUN way for children to learn. Their “piano partner” provides motivation, modeling, and joy as the two children progress together. A Practice CD supports their learning and practice at home; a Listening CD provides a variety of musical styles, composers, classic melodies, and répertoire. Aural Games lay the foundation for note-reading. Notation Games make note-reading fun and easy.
Please call for more information and available Piano Partner Times: 610-489-3676 or info@cmsmusic.org
Age-specific Curriculum
Musikgarten offers instruction which is just right for each age level – from your baby who benefits greatly from being part of a live music environment, right up through school-age children who delight in our group piano classes. Beginning simply with singing, moving, and exploring rhythm instruments, we add levels of complexity as the children grow, expanding the singing repertoire, teaching more complex dances, and building instrumental ensembles. Children coming through the Musikgarten program inherently “know” the music they eventually play in later years in music lessons.
Research
Music and movement can have a dramatic effect on babies, toddlers, and older children as well. Some studies indicate that early music instruction positively impacts language and literacy development; others point to improved pattern recognition skills which are the basis for mathematical learning; still others reveal the social and emotional benefits of being involved in music. Given our long-standing reputation as the leader in the field of affordable early music education, Musikgarten can give your child a learning advantage for life.
Meet Your Muikgarten Teachers
Mary Ann Rutkowski is a singer/actor/director, originally from Nanticoke, PA. She holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Arts for Children with a theatre specialty and theatre minor from SUNY Brockport, graduating cum laude. Mary Ann has worked full time as a church musician and has significant experience with children’s choirs and directing musicals. Mary Ann has training in the Musikgarten curriculum for young children, and holds a certification from the Choristers Guild Institute as a certified teacher of young singers.
Mary Ann has worked extensively at Steel River Playhouse in Pottstown, PA. She was the was Music Director for Elf Jr. summer camp in 2023, directed the performance workshop production of Godspell, Jr. in 2024, and led both staging and music for Willy Wonka Jr. performance workshop in 2025. Onstage, she has been seen locally at SRP (Falsettos), and at Pittsford Musicals, Webster Theatre Guild, and the BUM Players (all in Rochester, NY), and Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre (PA). Mary Ann is excited to lead the Musical Theatre workshops at CMS this year!
Alexandra Mattson is a French horn performer and music educator whose career combines artistic excellence with a passion for inclusive music education. Originally from Northern Virginia, she began playing horn in sixth grade and went on to earn her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Virginia Commonwealth University, graduating magna cum laude in 2018. During her time at VCU, she was active in Richmond’s freelance music community and performed internationally with her horn studio in Stockholm, Sweden and with her brass quintet in Cartagena, Colombia.
Alexandra continued her graduate studies in horn performance at Western Michigan University and later studied with Ann Ellsworth in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she performed extensively throughout the Fox Valley region. She then spent three years in Phoenix, Arizona, teaching band and general music while remaining active in local community ensembles.
Alexandra currently maintains a freelancing career in the Philadelphia area and serves as General Music Teacher at Waldron Mercy Academy in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania and horn teacher at Community Music School in Trappe, PA. As both a performer and educator, she is committed to creating engaging musical experiences that foster creativity, collaboration, and a lifelong appreciation for music. She believes that music is for everyone and is most meaningful when shared with others.