The Sounds Like This Brain Changing, Child First Approach to
Early Development Music Making

Sounds Like This music classes for kids aren’t what they first seem. 

On the surface, you see parents, educators, and children with big smiles on their dials. You hear drum-banging and rattle-shaking. There are wiggles and giggles and many happy little Vegemites.

Yet each class is grounded in musical and early childhood development theories so that every activity is brain changing, bond building and heart growing.

Babies, young children and mothers gather and play on a large floor drum, covered in colourful pompoms. They are smiling.

At Sounds Like This, we are life-long learners. We'll adapt our kids' musical programs to follow our best understanding of neuro-research and conduct all of our teachings with a people first approach.

 

How We Do What We Do

  • Quality, inclusive repertoire - WITHOUT backing tracks

  • Highly trained and emotionally mature educators

  • Socially conscious

  • Musically and developmentally appropriate materials and games

 
 

  • We know little explorers up to 7 years old are experiencing big changes in their brains.

    Their malleable noggins are forging new pathways and building important connections.

    After 7ish, the brain’s growth slows significantly. So what you nurture now sets the stage for the rest of their lives.

  • Your child’s daily experiences have the biggest impact on their cognitive development.

    That’s why in our musical programs, we focus on soft skills to help children thrive with important social and communication skills.

  • Our musical activities for kids are about making sure the brain is growing to be the BEST it can be (because music activates SO many parts of the brain simultaneously).

    We integrate activities that encourage beautiful neural development to ensure your child’s brain is set to thrive.

  • We create safe spaces and fun activities that help children gain the courage to hold their own. Because nothing makes us more joyful than seeing children:

    • Advocate their ideas

    • Lead a group

    • Own their space

    • Learn turn-taking

    • Be socially included

  • Sounds Like This educators are a tiny team of highly trained and experienced people.

    They have spent years working with young children, and making music and honing their craft.

    Each team member brings their own special flavour through their personality, but at the heart of ALL of our educators is, well, heart. Great big hearts that deeply respect children, childhood development and childhood learning.

    Our staff are always warm, kind, welcoming, and investing in our own professional education so we continue to provide outstanding music education to our community.

 

We KNOW that music making makes

LIVES

RICHER

BRAINS

KINDER

HEARTS

FULLER

  • We Make Music to Build Connection…

    Music-making creates a beautiful sense of bonding and belonging between children and their parents or guardians, their educators, and their communities.

    And when little ankle-biters feel a sense of belonging, they have the perfect conditions for a productive and effective learning environment.

    Sounds Like This looks at the WHOLE community. We make sure parents and educators alike feel empowered and supported to spend more time nourishing their children and have the practical tools to use music to do so.

    We create safe and respectful spaces to learn, be, and THRIVE.

  • Through Structured, Strategic Lessons Grounded in Strong Musical Theory…

    At Sounds Like This, we believe EVERY person has the potential to become musical, especially when their musicality is nurtured in early childhood.

    But we don’t preach music theory from the get-go.

    Actually, we know we’ve done a good job when we see your children embodying confident, joyful lovers of music who are learning through rhythm, pitch, tempo, melody, and harmony without even knowing it.

    Sounds Like This takes an immersive approach to music-making in childhood.

    First, we teach our little poppets to love music. To know music. To breathe it. From a young age, this musical immersion wires their brain so that they quickly catch on when they learn musical theory or wrap their hands around an instrument later in life.

    We plan our kids’ music programs in a way that helps us scaffold learning so children grow and develop naturally.

  • Using Child-Based Play...

    Kids are clever young humans. They learn through the natural course of play throughout the day. We take that innate behaviour and make it a central part of their early musical education.

    Nothing is more beautiful than seeing people create freely through an unencumbered sense of self and self-acceptance.

    In our children’s music programs, we encourage:

    • Child-led exploration

    • Spontaneity

    • Imagination

    • Free self-expression

    • FUN!

    It’s not about the immediate outcome but the process. We nurture every child in their own time, meeting them where they are, whilst encouraging and valuing their unique contribution.

Child running along a dirt path. They have long golden hair.

Sounds Like This takes an immersive approach to music-making in childhood.

“1. A well-trained ear

2. A well-trained intelligence

3. A well-trained heart

4. A well-trained hand

All four must develop together, in constant equilibrium.”

– Zoltán Kodály: Hungarian musician, composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, philosopher, linguist, and good mate of Béla Bartók.

Meet the Music Makers

Julie Murray
FOUNDER | HEAD MUSIC PRACTITIONER

Lauren Nilsson
EARLY YEARS EDUCATION SPECIALIST

With a little help from our friends

Mentorship, consultancy and collaboration with

Creations we LOVE

“The music we absorb during childhood echoes through every stage of life.”

- Nancy Kopman: Canadian early childhood music specialist, composer, recording artist, and performer.

We’re here for families

We’re here for educators

Sounds Like This in the Wild

We love heading out into the community to make music and share our knowledge. Here are some of the wonderful places we’ve worked and been featured on/in…

  • Sunrise

  • State Library Victoria

  • Mornington Peninsula Kids

  • Currajong School

  • Frankston City Library

  • Hope Early Learning Centre

  • Glen Education - Aspendale North Kindergarten

  • Chaos to Calm podcast

  • Andrea Funke and Julia Poppelton podcast

  • Profit Lovers podcast

  • Party in the Park - Frankston City Council

  • Mornington Main Street Festival

  • The Mayor’s Picnic - Frankston City Council

  • Children’s Day - Frankston City Council

  • Cruden Farm

Julie making music in the children's quarter at State Library Victoria