MUSIC. MOVEMENT. COMMUNITY
Tadpole Tunes is a carefully devised music class created to support your child's early development with gross and fine motor skills, social communication, and early musical skills, whilst having fun!
About our classes
Our fast paced weekly classes last approximately 35 minutes. Each is packed with a welcome song, puppets, topic based action songs and dances, percussion, instrument demonstrations, bubbles and sometimes 'musical box' and story time. After the class there is time for free play for the children while the adults enjoy a chat and yummy homemade cake. This time at the end of the session is a valuable opportunity to meet friends and for everyone to socialise.
The topics covered in the classes are designed to be relevant and inspiring and can also be used at home. Popular topics include 'My Body', 'Exercising' and 'Animals'. Each topic uses catchy original songs and movement, dances and traditional songs with groovy Tadpole Tunes recorded backing tracks with live instruments and music technology.
Fees are paid termly in advance and terms will vary to follow the school calendar. An individual class calculates at £6 per child plus £3 per sibling over 9 months old, therefore a typical termly fee will be £66.
Why termly? Because these classes are built for development. Children learn routines, gain confidence, make friends and learn songs. (And we also like having small consistent groups to add to our well known cosy and relaxing atmosphere).
Nancy Cushing
Tadpole Tunes was created by Nancy Cushing. After the birth of her first child, Nancy was brimming with ideas for songs and keen to compose and create a scheme of music that was fun and supported early child development.
Originally Tadpole Tunes was developed with her own and her friend's children and social life in mind! It needed to be fun, educational and time allowed for chat afterwards!
With a first class Music Performance degree, and teaching classroom and individual music for over fifteen years, Nancy used all of her talents, experience and passion to create the Tadpole Tunes songbook and syllabus.
The Tadpole Tunes Story
Creation
Once the songs and class plans were in place, Nancy decided she also wanted the classes to support the parents and give them time to socialise.
So, at the end of the classes time was devoted for the adults to chat, drink a hot drink and have yummy homemade cake while the children had an opportunity for free play. And, once musical instruments had been gathered, puppets designed and made by Laurie Parrott and festive bunting was sewn and strung, the Tadpole Tunes classes were ready to go!
Beginnings
The very first Tadpole Tunes started in 2007 in Nancy's home, with a group of her excited and enthusiastic friends and their children.
Classes quickly increased in size and the waiting lists became bigger than the class sizes so Nancy added an additional qualified teacher to grow the business.
Registered Trade Mark
In 2013 Tadpole Tunes evolved and Nancy registered Tadpole Tunes as a trademark and set up the license to enable new teachers to take Tadpole Tunes to new towns and villages.
Tadpole Tunes currently has two teachers running classes in Suffolk . Classes are very popular and have maintained a strong following for many years, mostly through word of mouth.
Nancy is currently not teaching classes in order to study a MSc in Occupational Therapy to further her understanding of child development and progress.