by E-J Walker, founder and lead teacher at TipToe Music

Hello Everybody, Miss E-J here!

As February (the “month of love” as I call it and a super busy month in my house) comes to an end, I often try to remember that love is not always found in grand gestures, for my family it's present in the little things that we do or we say to each other. With much older kids, for me this can be as simple as getting unrequested help to unload shopping from the car, joining me in a Rhythm Kids^® class just for fun, or choosing to hang out with me rather than hibernating in their rooms!  When my kids were younger, the love often lived in smaller repeated moments like soothing a fussy baby, sharing a familiar song, or laughing together when a little one sang a song with their own made up words!

At TipToe Music, the idea behind the “month of love” isn’t something we celebrate just once a year, it is what families build every day through connection and music. And our class offers a uniquely powerful way for families to connect authentically, right from the start.

Families don’t need more pressure to ‘do things right.’ They need spaces where they can simply be together and enjoy each other. Music gives them that space.

Music as an Early Tool for Connection

Research into early childhood development shows that babies are biologically wired to respond to sound and rhythm - we tell our Babies class families that at the start of every semester. Long before language develops, infants recognize familiar voices, patterns, and melodies, and babies recognise their mother’s singing voice before their speaking voice. Musical interactions help shape early attachment and emotional regulation.

Neuroscience tells us that shared musical experiences also activate multiple areas of the brain simultaneously - including those responsible for emotion, memory, movement, and social bonding. When caregivers sing or move rhythmically with their children, the brain releases oxytocin, a hormone associated with trust, connection, and safety.

These experiences support co-regulation, the process by which children learn to calm and organize their emotions through responsive relationships. Over time, repeated musical interactions help build neural pathways that support attention, self-regulation, and social connection. Not just with babies, but with all children.

When families make Music Together^®, they’re not just filling time,  they’re building connections in the brain and in their relationships at the same time.

In other words, music isn’t just enjoyable, it builds relationships and supports development.

Music in Real Family Life

For me, as the owner and founder of TipToe Music, music has always been a grounding thread in my family life, it’s not a performance, it’s something that we share and we use it to form our family traditions.

Music has always been one of the easiest ways for us to reconnect as a family. When my kids were little, music classes gave us a weekly rhythm, a place where we could slow down, be present, and just enjoy being together. Singing in the car was a no-brainer, and that is a tradition that continues to this day - its just that the songs are a little different!  Even now, when life feels busy or overwhelming, music is something we return to. It resets us and brings us back to each other. We have family traditions that we follow, such as carolling at Christmas, my kids sing with gusto in the shower (a graduation from bathtime singing as little ones), we still occasionally have kitchen dance parties (more me than them!) and we attend concerts and musicals, all of which continue to create memories and connection.  These lived experiencee reflect what research shows: consistent, shared musical moments create emotional anchors for both children and their famiies.

Why Music Feels So Regulating (for Children and Adults)

Singing and moving together engages multiple systems in the body at once, and rhythm helps regulate breathing, coordinate movement, activating the parasympathetic nervous system - the body’s calming response.

Studies in early childhood development show that synchronized movement and shared rhythm can strengthen social bonding and cooperation, even in very young children, and for the adult members of a family, music can also lower stress levels and support emotional presence, making connection easier even on those challenging days. 

For families, this means music can do some really important things:

• support emotional regulation during big feelings
• strengthen neural pathways related to attention and memory
• create predictable routines that help children feel secure
• offer adults a simple way to connect, even on difficult days

Musical skill isn’t needed to achieve these benefits, presence and repetition matter far more than pitch or timing. 

Children don’t need perfect singing, they need present adults. I truly believe its the connection that matters the most.

Authentic Participation Over Performance

This is why family music classes at TipToe Music are designed with early childhood development in mind. Young children learn best through play, seeing others taking part, and repetion of shared experiences with those they love - not through performance.

That’s why authentic participation in class is so important. Children explore music at their own pace, and the adults with them model engagement easily by joining in the music-making and having fun! This approach supports confidence, curiosity, and family connection without any of the pressure.

All in all I believe there’s no “right” way to participate in class, just a shared experience that strengthens relationships (and therefore love and connection!) over time.

Carrying Love Forward Into Everyday Family Life

So, as February comes to a close, the invitation from me to families is simple: let connection continue beyond the “month of love”.

Love is not just a Valentines moment, it’s a pattern built through being present, giving attention, and sharing experiences.  In early parenthood especially, love often looks like repetition: singing the same song again (and again!), rocking with your little one in rhythm, or finding a moment of calm together at bedtime with a familiar lullaby.

Music offers families a reliable way to return to much-needed connection, and these small, repeated moments help children build emotional resilience and parents feel more grounded and supported.

Spring Is a Beautiful Time to Begin

So - if you’ve been thinking about creating more connected moments in your family’s weekly routine, spring is a natural time to begin.

Spring always feels like a fresh start for families. It’s a wonderful time to build a new rhythm together, one that supports connection, confidence, and joy.  Our spring classes offer families the opportunity to:

• build meaningful connection through shared music-making
• support early brain development through rhythm and movement
• create regular, joyful routines together
• experience community with other like-minded families

Registration for spring is now open, and families are warmly welcomed to join at any stage of their musical journey, whether they have a newborn, toddler, preschooler or big kid.

My hope for every family who walks into a TipToe class is simple - that they leave feeling more connected than when they arrived.  Because for me love isn’t about making it perfect, it’s about being present, connecting with each other and making music together - all year long!