Children, parents move to happy rhythms at growing Joyful Sounds music experience studio

The happy, upbeat rhythms at Grand Rapids' Joyful Sounds Music Studio rock to the accompaniment of giggles and gurgles as parents, infants, and young children learn to make their own music. But none of it is about learning to play an instrument -- it's all about learning to play with music.

Joyful Sounds' owner Michele Venegas, a violinist, guitarist, and member of Celtic band, Andro, brought the international program Music Together to the city many years ago. For the past six years, she has engaged babies, toddlers, parents, grandparents, and nannies on a musical journey filled with fun from her studio in the Blackport Building, 959 Lake Dr. SE.

"We offer active music making," Venegas says. "We teach them how to be music makers, how to sing a tune, and how to keep an accurate rhythm, and it happens best when they're doing it with their most important people. The kids are having fun, that music is getting in there, and they're modeling what their parents are doing."

There are classes just for pre-mobile infants and their caregivers, plus classes that include children from infants to age five and their caregivers. The classes are 45 minutes long. After 30 minutes of music and movement, class participants choose music-making toys and instruments -- egg shakers, drums, bells, etc. -- from a basket and make music and rhythms any way they want to.

Venegas, who taught Suzuki method violin lessons for 20 years, says she has had to turn people away because the classes fill up so quickly. She has hired a music therapist and plans to schedule more classes to help meet demand, including classes for children with special needs. She also plans to expand the program to areas north and south of Grand Rapids.

"By coming to the class, these kids are able to sing in tune and keep an accurate beat," Venegas says. "When you go to a school and hear a program, you realize that doesn't just happen. The classes make for a solid foundation for a musical instrument later on because the kids don't have to learn how to stay in pitch, how to stay in time, they already know that."

And besides, it's just good, exuberant fun.

To see a video about Joyful Sounds created by WZZM-13, click here.

To find out more about Music Together classes, visit Joyful Sounds Music Studio's website here.

Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of Joyful Sounds Music Studio