Classes are held in the foyer of The Menuhin Hall within the grounds of The Yehudi Menuhin School. From the School’s entrance on Cobham Road, proceed up the drive and follow the signs to The Menuhin Hall car park. There are six car park spaces allocated for disabled visitors, located in the service area at the back of The Hall. Please visit The Menuhin Hall website to find out more about planning your visit and accessibility.
We offer complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits from The Menuhin Hall bar for Baby Menuhins families before and after class. Juice and other snacks are also available to purchase. There is a water dispenser on the bar if you wish to fill up water bottles.
You are welcome to feed before/after class. We have plenty of seating around the Hall foyer and space upstairs on our mezzanine if you prefer a more private location.
We’ll be on yoga mats during class so we ask that you leave shoes on the designated shoe rack and wear socks or bring socks with you. Refreshments are available from our bar but please do bring water bottles with you. We’ll supply everything else that you’ll need during class.
Grandparents or other family members are welcome to watch classes from The Menuhin Hall bar area.
Yes, we offer free trials. Contact us via the registration form to book a class and we’d be happy to discuss the Baby Menuhins programme with you and find the best class to suit your child.
All classes, besides free trials, are booked through Happity. Contact us if you’re having difficulty booking or would like to discuss anything in relation to your child’s class.
Yes. We also offer Mini Menuhins classes (4-7 years) and Little Menuhins (7-11 years) classes as part of our Junior Menuhins programme. To find our more or register your interest, please visit the Junior Menuhins section of our website.
At the moment our classes are term-time only. All the term dates are available on our website.
We always use live music in our classes. We use egg shakers, rhythm sticks, drums and other percussion. String instruments will be introduced to our Baby Menuhins before they graduate to the Mini Menuhins programme.
All classes are run by highly trained classical musicians. Read more about our team.
Children are welcome to join in at their own pace. Although many are happy to get involved straight away, you may need to be patient if your child wants to take their time and observe to begin with. This is absolutely fine; we recognise every form of learning and would never force children to participate. It is also perfectly normal for children (who are able) to get up and walk around during class. The teacher will handle this in a way that suits the flow of the class, bringing them back to the circle when they are ready. You can also support your child by joining in, singing and playing with the instruments to demonstrate how to participate.
The best way to get the most out of our classes is regular attendance. Our curriculum is structured so that your child will be building on what they learn from week to week.
The Baby Menuhins team has undergone extensive training with our chosen collaborative partner, the DaCapo Music Foundation, and has developed a structured and engaging musical curriculum using the unique methods of Kodaly and Eurythmics.
The teaching puts an emphasis on creativity and enjoyment. It does not enforce practice, and instead aims to create an environment that encourages children to want to learn and play independently. Most importantly, it puts musicianship first, giving children the tools they need to develop a love of music from an early age.
The Baby Menuhins curriculum also incorporates elements of yoga , in line with The Yehudi Menuhin School’s ethos of mindfulness and balanced wellbeing and Suzanne Evans has additionally completed the Foundation Course with YogaBeez Children’s Yoga School.
Baby Menuhins aims to educate children as they take their first steps on their musical journey- for this reason, our classes tend to be quieter and calmer than other baby & toddler classes on the market.
Our Baby Menuhins classes are designed for two distinct groups: Movers and Shakers (6 months to 3 years) and Music Makers (3 to 4 years)
Movers and Shakers
In Movers & Shakers your little ones will be sitting up, exploring with their eyes and hands and possibly starting to roam away from you. They’ll be able to reach and grab for soft toys, percussion instruments and other props presented to them, and we’ll be ask
ing you to help us demonstrate using percussion correctly so your child can begin to copy and try for themselves. There's no right or wrong way to join in - we encourage children to participate at their own pace.
Classes take place on Tuesdays 10:30-11:00 and Thursdays 09:30-10:00.
Music Makers
At this stage we encourage children to participate independently of their adults and when they’re ready, join us on the mats on their own. Children are introduced to core musical elements: pulse, pitch, rhythm, improvisation, music reading, coordination, and creative expression in these structured classes. They will also be building on key social skills as they build friendships, sing and play together.
At this point children will be singing the songs they learn in class at home and possibly even elaborating on them with their own customised verses. You’ll most likely be serenaded with your child’s favourite song- we encourage enthusiastic singing!
Classes take place on Tuesdays 14:30-15:15 and Thursdays 10:15-11:00.
You can book for either of these classes on Happity.