Rhythm Time, which promotes baby and toddler early learning through music, reports increasing numbers of mums wanting to join the franchise and set up classes across the UK. Their reasons are varied. Some are investing redundancy cheques to acquire a proven franchise system, while others are motivated by wanting a better quality working life.
They do, however, share a common bond in being interested in their local community. They want to run a local business that makes a real difference, improving the lives of babies, toddlers and young families, whilst at the same time fitting in with family commitments.
“People want something more out of life,” says the firm’s marketing adviser, Tracy Evans, a mother of two. “More and more parents are realising they don’t have to make the work/life sacrifices that they would have had to make years ago. With a Rhythm Time franchise, for example, they can have a career and still be there for their children.”
Rhythm Time is well-established with thousands of children attending classes each week. The business was founded at Solihull in the West Midlands and has grown successfully over the last 15 years. Over this period, tens of thousands of children have benefitted from its classes. Many now play musical instruments and have achieved high marks in music exams with some excelling and going on to choir schools.
Classes are run in church halls at the centre of local communities and focus on exciting songs, action rhythms and percussion playing. The classes are arranged for three age groups as follows.
- Baby classes (birth to 15 months) - multi-sensory experiences to stimulate all the senses. The activities develop important brain connections, eye-tracking, balance, speech and language.
- Toddler classes (15 months to three years) - lots of singing and dancing, along with activities to improve listening skills and concentration. Various instruments are explored and rhythmatic imitation helps vocal development.
- Pre-school classes (from three years to school age) - ideal preparation for entering school. Music notation is introduced and the children learn to recognise a variety of musical signs. They listen to brass, woodwind and string instruments, and learn to conduct the class band.
Rhythm Time was created by Kathy Doolan who used her professional musical expertise to develop an enjoyable and valuable learning experience for children. She trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama at Glasgow and was head of music in a Scottish school.
She began franchising 10 years ago and now has 200 branches helping 10,000 children gain and improve their three Cs - confidence, creativity, and co-ordination.
‘Musical ear’
Toddlers, who learn the importance of musical pitch and rhythm at an early age, are more likely to pass the music tests at school that will decide whether they can go on to learn instruments.
The curriculum at Rhythm Time is designed to develop the “musical ear” of the students. Doolan explains: “Every child is musical and has a sense of rhythm. However, a sense of pulse is something that has to be taught. In our toddlers’ classes, the children cover a wide range of musical skills, such as learning to tap in time, playing fast and slow, and imitating musical phrases.”
Research by the University of London has confirmed that learning music at school can help a child’s behaviour, memory and intelligence. Musically-trained pupils can remember almost a fifth more information than their non-musical counterparts.
U.S. studies have shown that playing an instrument improves the behaviour of children as working in small musical groups requires trust, respect and compromise.
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