Two mothers with a love for music and children are bringing something new to town, Kindermusik.

Kindermusik provides music and movement mommy-and-me style classes for parents and children from newborn to 7.

The two mothers bringing the classes to Vicksburg, Bonnie Henry and Kelli Lafferty, didn’t know about each other until after they had each decided to offer the classes.

“We plan to get together soon so we can collaborate to offer the maximum amount of classes,” Henry said. “We don’t want to have classes at the same time.”

Henry said it’s exciting to be going from zero to two classes in Vicksburg.

“The following components are a part of each and every Kindermusik class: movement, listening, vocal development, language and literacy and musical notation,” she said. “Classes are structured around the premise that young children learn best through experiences that are integrated and multisensory.”

Henry said the different components are linked, overlapped and often experienced simultaneously within different activities.

“Integration allows learning at multiple levels, tapping into the many different learning styles represented in a class of young children,” she said.

Henry said one of the biggest things that sets Kindermusik apart from other programs is the parent and child interaction.

“It’s interwoven within the class,” she said. “They go over the reason why they go over activities. They can take it home and do everything they do in Kindermusik.”

Henry said parents get at-home materials so they can do music and activities at home throughout the week.

“The children really learn to love the music and the parents get an understanding of the developmental things going on at the same time,” she said.

Lafferty said the program helps instill musical ability and a love for music when children are young and carry it through.

“They can start hearing melodies and learn slow music means they need to be calm and fast music means it’s time to move around,” she said. “There are a lot of good benefits down the road.”

Lafferty, a mother to three, taught for 11 years before deciding it was time for a change this year.

“I have a passion for teaching,” she said.

“I have a huge musical background. I fell in love with both.”

Lafferty said she was approached by some friends who told her Kindermusik would be a wonderful idea.

“I felt like God was leading me this way and decided to take the jump into it in June this year,” she said.

Henry came from a slightly different background.

“My degree is actually in chemical engineering,” Henry said. “This is kind of off the beaten path of what I thought I would be doing.”

Henry said she has a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old and she decided to stay home with them and travel with her husband for his job.

“When I decided to be a stay-at-home mom I realized how few activities and mommy and me programs there were,” she said.

“I had heard of Kindermusic and it seemed wonderful activity for mothers and their children to interact with each other.”

Henry said she also taught preschool choir at her church with two and three year olds.

“I fell in love with it and that age group and thought music would be a wonderful avenue to take to give them something to do,” she said.

Both Henry and Lafferty will begin teaching classes in early September. Henry is finalizing locations but plans to offer classes at multiple venues around Vicksburg, and Lafferty will offer classes at Crossway Church.

For more information, contact Henry at blhenry07@gmail.com or Lafferty at 601-636-2596.