I have always lived in the local area having grown up in Ickenham and then moving to Harrow as an adult.

Music has always been a great passion of mine. I started playing the violin from the age of 7 and joined the Harrow School for Young Musicians soon after. During this time I had some amazing opportunities to play at wonderful venues including the Royal Albert Hall. Later in life, I met and married a fellow violinist who is an incredibly talented musician. Needless to say, music plays a big part in our lives!

We were therefore delighted to discover Monkey Music with our first child, Noah. Knowing how music helps in all aspects of a child's development and wanting to instil a love of music with him at an early age, this was the perfect activity for us. Noah progressed through all four stages of the Monkey Music curriculum. He started with the baby class, Rock'n'Roll which was a lovely gentle introduction to music and a great bonding time for us. He was spellbound by all the new and fascinating sounds. When he was on the move, it was time for Heigh-Ho! Here, he loved all the large colourful props and exploring with great intent, all the instruments. At 2, it was time for Jiggety-Jig and in this class Noah really developed his listening skills, playing different rhythms and exploring the multitude of ways different instruments can be played and the different sounds they make. Next was Ding-Dong, the preschool class. This class was incredible - Noah learnt to read music, write his own compositions and identify the instruments of the orchestra as well as sing along to all the familiar songs with gusto! We were sad to 'graduate' but he has taken all these skills learnt with him into school and we are now enjoying the Monkey Music journey with our daughter. Both children have developed a love of music that will hopefully last a lifetime!

Having seen first-hand the benefits of attending Monkey Music, I jumped at the chance to run my local franchise of Harrow, Uxbridge and Edgware. It has been wonderful to delve into the curriculum and understand exactly how it has been designed to help all areas of development. Action songs and rhymes build language and numerical skills; playing hand held instruments such as maracas, drums and castanets refine fine motor skills while movement helps facilitate the awareness of space and of each other. Being within a group helps build children's confidence and social interaction. But the children don't realise this, they just know they are having fun and enjoying themselves!

Now, as a teacher, it is a privilege to teach the babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers, to see them captivated by the class and to see them develop through a love of music. And it is not just the children, the grownups have such fun too and it is lovely to share in their enjoyment as well.

Here at Monkey Music Uxbridge, Harrow and Edgware we have a wonderful team of teachers who you can read about below. We run classes throughout Uxbridge, Hillingdon, Northwood, Eastcote, Pinner, Harrow, Hayes, Greenford, Northolt, Ruislip, Ickenham, Wembley, Stanmore and Iver.

We are all looking forward to welcoming you soon, so book your complimentary class today and come and join us on your own Monkey Music journey.