About PLAY music

A mixed-age, music and movement program for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and their families


PLAY music…

  •  is a mixed-age, music and movement program for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and their families.
  • recognizes that the parent/caregiver is the child’s most important musical influence, and therefore strongly encourages adult participation in class and emphasizes activities that can be practiced at home.
  • doggedly asserts that great family music, including what we play in class and recordings for home use, can be equally enjoyable for kids & their adults.
  • strives to give families a rich and diverse experience (in terms of tonalities, rhythms, languages, subject matter, and physical activities), and draws from a variety of cultures, genres, and traditional and original material.
  • incorporates simple storytelling principles into select songs and into the underlying shape of each class.
  • promotes children’s freedom to explore their music and movement experiences in their own styles and at their own paces.
  • is inclusive, community-minded, and environmentally conscious, and aspires to create a standard of mutual respect among all participants, both in and out of the classroom.

For more info on the curriculum, visit:


PLAY music Beginnings

Launched in January 2010, the music program sprung from our experiences at PLAY since 2004, hosting other music programs and drum circles, throwing dance parties and music events, being around kids as they played and explored, and learning from them, as well as from all the teachers, musicians, and parents who came through our LA space.

In developing PLAY music, we’ve been lucky to work with contributors who bring years of musical and music education experience, whether it be teaching, developing, and implementing early childhood music curricula, or composing, producing, and performing in multiple genres. We all started with the belief that the program should be musically rich, developmentally appropriate, and also fun and exciting for everyone involved.

PLAY music also comes from our own experience as parents, particularly during our son’s first three years. We were lucky that one of us could be with him all the time, and among the many things we found to do together, the musical activities (and reading and painting with him) were the most memorable, whether we were going to a class or a live show, or just tuning in to the rich variety of music that’s around us in Los Angeles. These kinds of moments held a huge sense of wonder, and they inspired everything we’ve done since at PLAY.

ANNE KELLY-SAXENMEYER & JAMES SAXENMEYER, PLAY FOUNDERS