For over 30 years, Music, Art & Me has brought outstanding early learning programs to children inspiring creativity and love of the arts.
“I just want to thank Allison for her creativity, energy, and joy during the classes. My son has grown so much from participating, and she’s encouraged us to try things at home that we might not have thought to do. Thank you!!”
2nd Saturdays
Music, Art & Me
10:30 - 11:30 AM for Ages 0 - 5
FALL SCHEDULE & THEMES
Free to Pay What You Can Community Events at PAC
September 12
Let’s Go ABC Adventure
Let’s have fun with our letters! Sing, dance, and play your way through the alphabet with music, movement, stories, games and hands-on creativity!
October 10
Autumn Fun in Pumpkin Town
Visit Pumpkin Town for a colorful play time celebrating autumn filled with fall songs, dancing leaves, picking pumpkins, forest animals, and make & take craft.
PLEASE NOTE:
A SPECIAL 2nd Saturday EVENT:
November 14
18th “Thanks & Giving”
Children’s Benefit Concert
Celebrate Thanksgiving in the spirit of the season at a joyfully interactive, live family music concert with Allison DeSalvo and the World of Song Band! Proceeds will help support the mission of a local charity providing for the needs of underserved children in our community, impacting their lives, learning, growth, and mental-emotional and physical wellbeing. Geared for 2 - 7 years
Suggested Donation
RESERVATION LINK Coming Soon!
Music, Art & Me is…
Allison’s Signature Kids Program since 1993
A delightfully interactive and energetic class presented in a loving atmosphere of learning and joy. Young children and their adults explore singing songs, music, movement, games, dancing, stories, simple art projects and dramatic play stimulating development and social skills while sparking imaginations and encouraging creativity. Themes that are fun and educational are explored through age appropriate activities which incorporate puppets, parachutes, balls, books, musical instruments and more! Providing individual attention to address children’s social and emotional needs.
Creator & Teaching Artist
Allison DeSalvo is the owner and director of World of Song and the Founder, Lead Teacher & Teacher Trainer of “Music, Art & Me” (MAM).
Drawing upon her training as a singer, actor and dancer, Allison began teaching at Discovery Programs in Manhattan in the early 90’s. Inspired to create her own program, she designed and launched MAM in her Brooklyn, NY neighborhood in 1993 quickly gaining community support from local families. She was enthusiastically received again after moving to Media, PA in 2004, and became the children’s programmer at the Swarthmore Public Library and started teaching at the Wallingford Community Arts Center. A few years later she became a co-founder and (former) program director of The Creative Living Room where her music and art classes continue to flourish. In 2010, YogAmi~kids yoga was added to her palette of offerings. Until 2023, Allison enjoyed a long run of teaching her many programs through the fall, winter, and spring seasons, in addition to fun filled summer camps with few exceptions.
Music, Art & Me’s heart-centered, creative arts approach for 0-5 helps toddlers get ready for pre-school while learning about themselves and the world in a loving, joyful atmosphere!
Classes interweave music, movement, art, stories, and play to support the whole child—cognitively, physically, socially, emotionally, and creatively. From the beginning, the series went beyond the traditional “mommy & me” model by bringing multiple art forms together and incorporating a hands-on art project into every class, making for a rich, one-of-a-kind experience.
MAM offers multiple ways for little ones to connect with their innate creative and musical impulses, and celebrate and welcome all learning styles and individual differences.
CURRENTLY: Allison is offering MAM as a monthly community event on 2nd Saturdays at the Park Avenue Community Center. Pop-up or short series available upon request. No weekly classes at this time.
SEE 2nd Saturday Music, Art & Me Schedule Above. REGISTER HERE
ABOUT
MAM Benefits Children By:
Encouraging participation and interactive play
Awakening innate musicality, rhythm and movement
Sparking imagination and self expression
Developing verbal skills, language and vocabulary
Stimulating emotional growth
Relating to feelings positively and creatively
Building fine and gross motor coordination
Nurturing individual artistic impulses
Opening sensory and kinesthetic awareness
Supporting emerging independence
1993-2023
MUSIC & ARTS PROGRAMS INCLUDED
Music, Art & Me | Music & Me
(12-18 mos, 19-24 mos, & 2-4 yrs)
Being with Baby Music & Massage: (2-12 mos)
Siblings Play-Family MAM: (0 - 5 yrs)
Happy Hands Art: (2-4 yrs)
Art Soup: (3.5 - 5 yrs)
Over the last 30+ years, the Music, Art & Me Program (MAM) has provided innovative classes that give very young children numerous opportunities to connect with their innate creative instincts and nurture a love of the arts as a foundation for self-discovery and wellbeing for life.
MAM immersive classes stimulate the hearts and minds of children, like scattering seeds, encouraging growth at each stage. Children engage with themselves, and explore the world around them in a loving atmosphere of learning and joy.
A variety of props, musical instruments, puppets, parachutes, balls and more are used in all MAM classes and tailored to fit each theme. Toddlers learned to sing, sign and move with specific songs drawn from Allison's original music catalogue, and from other genres including traditional, folk, multicultural classical, ethnic and popular. As we know from extensive research, music stimulated all areas of the brain, nourishes, calms and regulates the nervous system, an enables children to feel joy and self-discovery through creative expression.
Physical and vocal participation, cooperative and pretend play, social skills in relating to other children in a classroom environment, independence, friendships, and bonding with their first teachers emerge as a natural process supported by caring adults. All children and caregivers are given the space to engage at their own pace. Attention to transitions and individual dynamics help each child trust, learn and grow developmentally. MAM classes often eased the stress of separation and school readiness for families as well as gave insights and ideas for enhancing playtime at home.
What Sets Us Apart
Children Learn About
sharing
taking turns
listening to a teacher, to each other
putting away play things
cleaning up
following directions
participating on their own
participating in a group
understanding and using words to ask for things….
Programs Include
music, movement, art & stories
thematic educational classes
interplay of multiple art forms
small age specific groups
fun age appropriate props
individual attention to address social and emotional needs
spirited creative play
open ended learning…
Experienced Artist Educator
1990-1997 | Discovery Programs
1993-2003 | MAM @ The New Space
1998-2004 | Grace Church School
Head Teacher Two’s Program
2005-2008 | Swarthmore Public Library
Children’s Programmer
2005-2007 | MAM @ Community Arts Center
2008-2013 | The Creative Living Room
Co-Founder, Program Director, Teacher
2014-Present | TCLR Teaching Artist
2016-2023 | Swarthmore Presbyterian Day School
Creative Movement Specials Teacher
Annual Summer Bridge Camps
Kindergarten, Lead (‘19-’20)
New Two’s Program, Assist. & Lead (‘21-’23)
Numerous Freelance Teaching Venues for a wide variety of populations including autism spectrum and neurodiverse children and adults