In July, we invited twelve Music Together families with kids from a few weeks to five years old to Brooklyn, NY, to be a part of our first studio photo shoot. It was so much fun capturing live musical moments to share! Get to know a little more about the families whose smiling faces you'll see in Music Together publications and websites from now on.

Zion and Brooks' Mom, Shannon

What do you like the most about Music Together? I love the fun I get to have with my boys in a relaxed, playful, safe space doing what we love most. And being guided by a teacher who is genuinely passionate about sharing her knowledge, love, and gift of music.

Has anything about Music Together surprised you? I never imagined the CDs would be a cure-all 100% of the time for crying fits when we are in the car. It is remarkable!

Any special musical moments to share? Special musical moments happen on a weekly basis during class. There is something very soothing and magical when the voices of parents come together in song. And when a child is heard matching tones...ahh, it is truly special!

What's your biggest piece of advice for a new parent? In regards to Music Together, have FUN!!! Sing and play with all of your heart. These will be some of the most cherished memories you will ever have with your children.

Zion's Mom, Eshan

Where do you call home? We've moved around so much, it's hard to pick one. We loved NYC the most and now we are in Singapore!

What's your favorite song to jam along to? "Hello, Everybody!" and the one that goes "Robin redbreast, crowing flying 'round."

Any special musical moments to share? It is just amazing how much babies love music, even this early on. It is the ultimate trick: whenever he cries, won't sleep, or is fussy, singing somehow always puts him at ease and into a better mood. Also, my husband is a massive 90s hip-hop fan, and he plays old-school songs for him, and Zion is now starting to dance along a little. These are really special moments.

What's your biggest piece of advice for a new parent? Try to do something once a week that forces you to focus on spending time with the baby. When you become parents every day is so hectic that you often miss out on quality time together. In that sense, Music Together gave us so many good memories that we will always remember fondly.

Kaiona's Mom, Naila

Has anything about Music Together surprised you? The degree to which I think Kai's early language development is directly connected to his music classes—so many of his first sounds and words were from Music Together songs.

Any special musical moments to share? We are a blended family, so one of the best moments we've had is driving in the car with Kai, myself, my husband, and stepdaughter—all singing "John the Rabbit" and loving it. It really brought us together in that moment as a family.

What's your favorite thing to do together as a family? Being out in the natural world together, whether it's Central Park or Randall's Island.

What's your biggest piece of advice for a new parent? Educate yourself but follow your instincts.

James and Alice's Dad, Cheng-Jih

What do you like the most about Music Together? A nice, structured time to interact with the kids.

Any special musical moments to share? One of Alice's early words has been "seashell," and she specifically asks for the She Sells Seashells Singalong Storybook.

What's your favorite thing to do together as a family? Reading.

What's your biggest piece of advice for a new parent? Don't panic.

London and Sebastian's Mom, Jennifer

What do you like the most about Music Together? Seeing my kids smile and dance around the room while interacting with other children.

Has anything about Music Together surprised you? How excited my kids get when they take out the instruments in class.

Any special musical moments to share? Every night we play the "Elmo Slide" on TV and dance along. My kids know all the moves!

What's your biggest piece of advice for a new parent? Try not to stress about the little things and enjoy every moment because time goes way too fast.

Lily and Kingsley's Mom, Denise

Has anything about Music Together surprised you? Kingsley started classes at about 12 weeks old. It's surprised me how, now at 18 months, she knows practically every song we've covered, and she tries to imitate the teacher's gestures when we're listening to the songs outside of class. She loves the music THAT MUCH!

What's your favorite song to jam along to? Do we have to name just one? If so, it'd have to be the "Hello Song"—it just gets the girls' day started!

Any special musical moments to share? There are SO many—too many, in fact, to share! That's why, since we started Music Together, I have taken advantage of the blank pages in the back of every songbook to record notes on every class's experience. It's been so great to be able to go back and read what happened on a particular day of class, say, a year ago. These are memories that I'll treasure forever, and my girls will be able to read about them when they're older, too.

What's your biggest piece of advice for a new parent? As with any new job, education is key! Read, read, read, and then read some more (and never stop) on everything from A to Z, but especially on your little one's psyche so you can understand why little ones do the things they do and treat them accordingly: with love, PATIENCE, caring, and understanding! I can't stress this enough.