morning warm-up

This is closest to the classic early childhood music environment that many families are familiar with from the many excellent programs here in the East Bay, with an ear for inclusion that invites children, parents, and caregivers of all ages to sing, move, and play–songs, chants, ring plays, folk dances, and lullabies from around the world, as well as instrument play and different kinds of sensory engagement. Truly a feast for the senses, and melodies your family will hum for life.
No experience necessary, and those with skills will find a place for them to shine.

Family style, mixed-age inclusive, parent or caregiver attends with child 0-6, all are welcome
10 weeks: September 28 – December 12, 2025

Ryk Groetchen, facilitator
Don’t see a time that works with your schedule? Let us know by taking the survey.

Cost: $150 – $300 sliding scale per family (not per child) for 10 weeks, with pay-it-forward options to support access for all. No one turned away for lack of funds. Please reach out to make special arrangements or set up a payment plan.

afternoon pick-me-up

This is similar to the classic early childhood music environment that many families are familiar with from the many excellent programs here in the East Bay, with an ear for inclusion that invites children, parents, and caregivers of all ages to sing, move, and play–songs, chants, ring plays, folk dances, and lullabies from around the world, as well as instrument play and different kinds of sensory engagement. Truly a feast for the senses, and melodies your family will hum for life. Afternoon classes skew a little older, as kids join after school, but always age-inclusive.
No experience necessary, and those with skills will find a place for them to shine.

Family-focus: mixed-age, parent or caregiver attends with child 0-6, all are welcome
10 weeks: September 29 – December 11, 2025

Ryk Groetchen, facilitator
Don’t see a time that works with your schedule? Let us know by taking the survey.

Cost: $150 – $300 sliding scale per family (not per child) for 10 weeks, with pay-it-forward options to support access for all. No one turned away for lack of funds. Please reach out to make special arrangements or set up a payment plan.

in-person ukulele environments

I LOVE your in-person classes and I’m thrilled that you’re bringing them back into being.  Hopefully, folks will be moved to take them in these post-pandemic days.  I got so much out of them and still use the lessons of music’s physicality to better impress my ukulele dabblings into my brain!  I’m not someone who is natively musical, so this helped me get there. 

This is a mixed-skill ukulele class–and more! Recognizing that we all need to move, and that movement puts the rhythm in our bodies, we won’t just be sitting still. Classes will include gentle movement and rhythm games to get the rhythms into our bodies. Independent students from about 12 to adult can attend on their own, and younger kids are welcome to attend with a parent or caregiver. My classes are all family-style–why should we be separated from our families to make music? That would be absurd! Class fee includes anyone in your family who wants to attend, young or old. Contact Ryk if you have any questions.

Community-focus: tweens and up can attend on their own, young children accompanied by parent/caregiver, all are welcome
10 weeks: September 29 – December 11, 2025

Ryk Groetchen, facilitator
Don’t see a time that works with your schedule? Let us know by taking the survey.

Cost: $150 – $300 sliding scale per family (not per child) for 10 weeks, with pay-it-forward options to support access for all. No one turned away for lack of funds. Please reach out to make special arrangements or set up a payment plan.

online ukulele classes

3 levels of classes over Zoom

• Beginner Beginner
• Intermediate I
• Intermediate II

Home-focus: Tweens to adults can attend on their own, young children accompanied by parent, all are welcome
10 weeks: September 30 – December 13 2025

Ryk Groetchen, facilitator
Don’t see a time that works with your schedule? Let us know by taking the survey.

Register for your preferred skill level and class times and my schedule will accommodate yours.

Cost: $150 – $300 sliding scale per family (not per child) for 10 weeks, with pay-it-forward options to support access for all. No one turned away for lack of funds. Please reach out to make special arrangements or set up a payment plan.

private lessons/consultation/
my musical friend

families that want to explore musical engagement possibilities in a serene and uncluttered sensory environment can book private consultation. we will move through a variety of music-making modalities to spark an interest in music-making, nurture a special interest, or discover the many ways that music can intersect with other sensory, performative, or constructive play.

I am also able to offer private ukulele and voice instruction during these times.

Cost: Negotiable, depending on the service provided with multiple options to support access for all. No one turned away for lack of funds. Please reach out to make special arrangements or set up a payment plan.

homeschool/IS orff environment

Any of my open time periods can be reserved by a coordinated group of 5 or more homeschool or independent-study families with kids K-12. Orff Schulwerk is a fun, flexible and empowering teaching modality employed in many public and private schools. Why shouldn’t homeschool and IS families have access to this type of high-quality musical education experience? Students will sing, dance, and play, and we will build rich and varied musical textures using a variety of on-site instruments, and we can accommodate instruments that kids are already learning in private lessons.

Ryk Groetchen, facilitator
See my enrollment chart below for open time periods. We can often accommodate a 60- or 90-minute class environment, as desired. Contact Ryk for more information.

Cost: $150 – $300 sliding scale per family (not per child) for 10 weeks, with pay-it-forward options to support access for all. No one turned away for lack of funds. Please reach out to make special arrangements or set up a payment plan.

evening wind down

This is a mixed-age music and movement environment. We will sing, move through the space, play instruments, and even make space for parallel play. This is generally for families with younger children, but all are welcome, and there will be many ways to engage and co-regulate. These environments tend to be more mixed-age than the morning and afternoon, and are adaptable to a variety of ways of participation.

I led evening family music classes pre-pandemic, and many families loved bringing their kids in their pajamas, all wound up when they walked in the door, and all wound down on the way out. What a wonderful way to unwind! This environment would also be conducive to having a wider range of mixed-age skillsets met, and maybe even a ukulele student or two. We can do that, because we’re cultivating the environment in the ways that we do, for you.

Family-focus: mixed-age, parent or caregiver attends with child, all are welcome
10 weeks: September 15 – November 21, 2025

Ryk Groetchen, facilitator
Locations and times will emerge as they become available.
Share your preferences by clicking Register and take the survey.

Cost: All classes will be sliding scale per family (not per child), with pay-it-forward options to support access for all. Fees to be posted soon, and will be affordable relative to similar options in the marketplace.