Musical Steps - baby, toddler and pre-school music classes

Hi! I'm Cathy McCallum and I founded Musical Steps in 2002 after my first baby was born. Here I am with Archie, now seven, and his younger brother George.

With a degree in music and over eight years' primary school teaching experience, I was in the perfect position to develop a really special activity for babies, toddlers and young children. I had tried out various groups with Archie, and they were fun, but I knew that I could create something equally fun-filled, but which offered parents something extra: an educationally sound and musically accurate curriculum which would really help with their child's all-round development. Many years of study and practical experience have gone into Musical Steps, and I'm really proud of the fantastic impact we've already had on hundreds of families.

Musical Steps is different from other music classes because we offer so much more than a simple sing-song. We don't rely on commercial backing tracks - we use our own voices and musical expertise - and our teaching techniques are based on highly successful methods developed by the world-renowned Kodaly, Dalcroze, Suzuki and others.

I'm sure that like me you want to give your child the best start in life, and research shows that making music acts as a springboard to enhancing children's all-round development and well-being, and it's a wonderful thing for families to do together.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a musical household and after graduating with my BMus, I took a year out in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where there is music-making and community singing everywhere! The spontaneous enjoyment of music I experienced there continues to be an inspiration for Musical Steps. It's such a shame that music is seen as an elitist activity in the UK. Most people never sing or make music with anyone else - the 'experts' perform while the rest of us listen. Of course it's wonderful and important to listen to music, but we're missing out on so much unless we make the most of opportunities like Musical Steps to join in. Singing with other people is fun, exhilarating and even good for your health!

In my career as a primary school teacher I was constantly amazed by the effect that music, and especially making music, has on children. It brings them together, lifts their mood and creates a bond between them. As a class teacher and music specialist, I did all I could to include the whole school in music-making, running music clubs, conducting choirs, directing concerts, training teachers and developing & implementing music policies that made music accessible to everyone.

However, children need to be introduced to music far earlier than school. During my teacher training I learned of the crucial role music plays in children's neurological, social and emotional development, and they should be exposed to music as early as possible, ideally from in the womb. Singing to babies & toddlers is vital in developing their awareness of speech patterns and sense of rhyme - skills fundamental to learning to read and write.

Whilst it's never too early to start making music, it's also never too late! I am continually inspired by my retired parents who are still learning new skills - computing, tap dancing, Gaelic, the list goes on. If you don't feel confident singing with your child, don't worry - come along to one of our classes and we'll show you what to do. You'll soon pick up ideas to help you, and the basic training we give to children is relevant to adults too. Music truly is a 'universal language' and age is no barrier to learning.

Musical Steps has grown steadily over the years and there is now a team of teachers scattered across the country. In Spring 2007 we began expanding further with our Licensed Teacher Programme. We've had so much positive feedback about the classes that we're now making them available to as many babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers as we possibly can, and through our teacher training programme we're providing people like you with flexible, rewarding careers. I've had a great time teaching the classes - maybe you or someone you know could too? It's allowed me to earn a good income, yet be at home with my children while they're young. I still enjoy teaching Musical Steps classes every week.

Everything about Musical Steps is designed to help you sing and make music with your child right from the start. I hope this will lead to a life-time love of music and music-making. I hope too that you find everything on this site useful. I'd love to hear your ideas comments and suggestions, and if you've any questions I'll be happy to help. Click here to contact me, and don't forget to register so that you can access all the special activities on this site.

In the meantime, I hope you and your little one(s) are having lots of fun making music together!