The Music Together® program has been published since 1987 by the Center for Music and Young Children, an organization in Princeton, NJ, dedicated to understanding how children develop musically. The program is based on the center's research findings, which show the following:
I. All children are musical.
II. All children can achieve basic music competence (defined as the ability to sing in tune with accurate rhythm).
III. The participation and modeling of parents and other primary caregivers, regardless of their musical ability, is essential to a child's musical growth.
IV. Young children’s musical growth occurs best in a playful, musically rich, and developmentally appropriate setting, free of direct instruction and performance pressure, where learning activities are accessible, interesting, and fun for both children and adults.
Developed by Kenneth K. Guilmartin and coauthor Lili Levinowitz, PhD, the songs in each Music Together collection are carefully selected and arranged to facilitate children's breadth and quality of experience. The center operates a lab school in the Princeton area where program elements are constantly assessed.