McPherson Step the Beat Music FUN-damentals

 At Musical Chairs Studio, we believe every child is born with a spark of musicality just waiting to be discovered. Our early childhood music class is designed to nurture that spark — building a joyful foundation that prepares little ones for private instrument lessons while igniting a genuine love of music.

Refined over 20 years of experience, our curriculum centers on four key areas: Rhythm, Ear Training, Singing, and Movement. Through playful, age-appropriate activities, children explore their musical potential at their own pace, building confidence with every note, beat, and step. Our students leave not just with early musical skills, but with a lifelong love of music that stays with them.

Session dates: September 17 - December 17

Class Day and Time: 

• Mondays 3:00 - 3:30 (priority for children not in aftercare)
• Mondays 3:40 - 4:10 (priority for child in aftercare)
• Thursdays 3:00 - 3:30 (priority for children not in aftercare)
• Thursdays 3:40 - 4:10 (priority for children in aftercare)

Rehearsal Location: McPherson Elementary School

Ages: Preschool ages

Tuition: $260

Musical Chairs may shift aftercare students who register for 3:00pm classes to the later class to accommodate students not in aftercare.

Make-ups are not available for group classes. Students are expected to follow instructions from the teacher and be respectful at all times. Should discipline be an issue we will first reach out to parents. If a problem continues we may regretfully ask students to forfeit the remainder of the session to ensure quality of instruction for all students.

Saoirse moved from Dublin, Ireland to Chicago in 2023.  She is a trained theatre artist and producer, with a Master's degree in Theatre Practice from University College Dublin where she also gained experience in Theater Education.

Saoirse is passionate about learning new things and exploring different forms of expression. She is fluent in Irish and has experience teaching piano, harp and ukulele. She most recently directed the Finding Nemo production for Musical Chairs Studio, assisted with the production of Into the Woods and is the Director of Musical Chairs Theater Company. 

She loves working with children and contributing to the development of their creative spirit and self-confidence. Her previous experience as assistant director for American Montessori Academy exposed her to working with children of all ages in a creative engagement-based approach which she carries forward today in her teaching. 

Voice, Ukulele, Guitar, Piano, Early Childhood - Originally from Alabama, Nancy Celia Rose Kujawinski (aka Celia Rose) is a singer, songwriter and educator who has spent most of her music career performing outside of the United States; in places as varied as Haiti, Israel, France, Rwanda, and Canada. She toured Africa as a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. State Department and her original songs have been included in NYTimes bestselling books as well as in TV shows, ads, and movies. She’s completed 4 full length albums of original folk-rock songs as well as an album of songs co-written with children in Africa.

Nancy has an undergraduate degree from Washington University in elementary education and French and a Master’s Degree from NYU in music composition. She has worked as a teacher for various organizations including Harlem Children's Zone, Kid Pan Alley, Poetry Pals, Music Together and Music House.

Nancy is an active member of the Recording Academy and is a co-founder of What Up Pitches; a women owned music production house and music licensing agency based in LA & Chicago. 

She’s also a mother of 3!