Musical Beginnings

Musical Beginnings is an early childhood music and movement program that invites babies, toddlers, and pre-school children ages 0 to 5-years to experience the world around them through singing, movement, listening, playing, and creating music.

The classes offer developmentally appropriate activities that nurture your child's innate joy and musical ability. In addition to being a time for joyful music-making, these classes lay a solid foundation for future musical experiences such as choir, piano, and other instrument lessons.

Faculty

Abby Furr has been teaching music to students, from babies to teens, for over a decade. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in voice and a Master’s in Music Education from the Jacobs School of Music, as well as Kodaly certification. She currently teaches General Music at Unionville Elementary, as well as private voice and piano lessons. She is delighted to be a part of the Musical Beginnings team. At home, Abby continues her musical journey with her three young children - ages 1,4, and 6 - who are her most joyful (and energetic) collaborators.

Sai Guo is a Ph.D. student studying music education at the Jacobs School of Music. She holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in the UK and a master’s degree in Music Education with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Sai worked as a music instructor at both the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs (BIAESN) and Boston Public School (BPS), where she provided piano and group music lessons to students from K0-K8 with ASD. Sai currently also assists and teaches at the IU Children’s Choir and MusColAbility program.

You-Ling Wang is a second-year Ph.D. student from Taiwan, specializing in general music education at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University. Currently, she serves as an Associate Instructor at the Jacobs School of Music, teaching the course "Teaching Music in the Elementary Classroom."

For more information, contact Abby Furr at ajmowery@iu.edu.

Schedule

Fall 2025 Semester
Date	Event
Monday, September 22	Cycle of Seasons: Classes begin
Tuesday, September 23	BloomingSongs: Classes begin
November 24 - 28	Thanksgiving Break, no classes
Monday, December 1	Cycle of Seasons: Classes conclude
Tuesday, December 2	BloomingSongs: Classes conclude

Spring 2026 Semester
Date	Event
Monday, February 16	Cycle of Seasons: Classes begin
Tuesday, February 17	BloomingSongs: Classes begin
March 16 - 20	Spring Break, no classes
Monday, April 27	Cycle of Seasons: Classes conclude
Tuesday, April 28	BloomingSongs: Classes conclude

Class Offerings

Instructor:You-Ling Wang

Fall Semester: September 22 - December 1, 2025

Spring Semester: February 23 - May 4, 2026

Meeting Time: Mondays, 5:30 - 6:00PM

Location: First Presbyterian Church

Additional Notes: 1) Access to audio and activities is included in the rate of tuition.

Instructors: Sai Guo

Fall Semester: September 23 - December 2, 2025

Spring Semester: February 24 - May 5, 2026

Meeting Time: Tuesdays, 5 - 5:30 PM or 5:45 - 6:15 PM

Location: First Presbyterian Church

Additional Notes: 1) Access to audio and activities is included in the rate of tuition.

Tuition and deadlines

Tuition

BloomingSongs - $155
Cycle of Seasons (w/out Materials) - $155
Cycle of Seasons (w/Materials) - $190
- $50 non-refundable enrollment deposit due at registration (credited towards tuition). If you do not wish to pay tuition in full at the time of initial registration, please do not select the tuition option prior to completing registration, however tuition must be paid in full by the payment deadline in order to participate in the program.

Fall Deadlines

Financial aid - September 16, 2025
Registration and payment due - September 15, 2025

Spring Deadlines

Financial aid - February 9, 2026
Registration and payment due - February 20, 2026

Financial Aid

Those looking to apply for need-based financial aid should indicate their intent to do so on their program registration form.
The family must complete the Financial Aid application and submit the required supporting documents to the Jacobs Academy Office via a provided secure upload link.
The Jacobs Academy Coordinator will contact you if further supporting documentation is needed for the committee review.

*Please be aware that late applications for financial aid will not be accepted.

Financial Aid Application Deadline: February 9, 2026

How to Apply

Registration: To apply, please complete the online registration form .
Enrollment limit: Registration for BloomingSongs and Cycle of Seasons will close at 10 participants per course.
Payment: Accepting payment via credit card or check. Please do not send checks or any other forms of payment to the Office of Jacobs Academy
- To Apply for Need-based Financial Aid
  - Need-based financial aid (available for fall and spring semesters)
    - Please complete the need-based financial aid form
    - Contact musicsp@iu.edu to obtain the secure link to upload the required supporting documents
      - Financial aid application will only be processed if you have registered and paid the registration fee. No late applications will be accepted (deadline: February 9, 2026)

Once you have completed the previous steps, please submit the Participant Agreement Form

Cancellation Policy: Click here for our most up to date cancellation policy.

Register for Spring 2026

Musical Beginnings