Music Lessons for Toddlers

Look into Kindermusik. I am a former music teacher- and 2.5 years is too young for any kind of formal training. Children should be able to count, add and subtract before starting formal training.

We do Music Together with our daughters and think it is great! I know it is a national (international even) program so you might want to see if there is one near you. Actually, I just looked on their site, www.musictogether.com, and I see that there are two Music Together classes in Hampton Roads which I believe is near Virginia Beach.
I highly recommend this program. We do one in Baltimore and have since my oldest was 18 months old. There are 12 collections of songs and I have just started the rotation again with my second child. I love the music and the structure of the class works well for all ages. It is meant for birth-5 years old.
Good luck!

Hi! Well, that's wonderful! It's not only a great talent, but being educated in music also links to doing well in math and science at school -- which is especially important (at least statistically) for girl. As someone whose first passion was music growing up and who has taught piano to kids, I would say the following. Dance at her age is great. That's what I would do too. When she is three, she might enjoy taking violin or piano on the Suzuki system or something similar. Before taking traditional instrumental lessons, I would wait until she learns to read. Kids often get discouraged when their music teacher tries to push them to read music before they learn to read words. Also, some instruments are just not small enough for little hands and too hard to coordinate (small guitars for example are still too big for a 3-year old). I don't know for sure, but I have heard that voice lessons are also something you should wait for -- until say, 8 or 9 years old. There are lots of toddler music classes that she might enjoy. And otherwise, just encourage her and enjoy her! Try to get her to listen to a variety of types of music from classical to jazz to blues to rock to pop to country. She will find what she likes.

How delightful!

As to fostering this joy and love of music - it sounds like you're already doing it. You sing and dance with her and you encourage her to use her imagination when she makes up songs. (Do you know how many parents will tell a child "that's not how that song goes?) And while she makes up songs, she is developing amazing language skills.

There are classes available where kids can explore music together (with a parent) in a "structured" and fun way - with lots of rhythm and singing.

As far as "lessons" go - such as piano or violin, I would follow her lead on that and figure they would be a few years away.

Kindermusik is the best way to foster her. It's an introduction to all types of music, both culturally and instrumentally. She gets to play with lots of different types of instruments during the class. but it is mommy and me so you would need to go with her. Otehrwise, she is probably too young for formal lessons of any kind.

My first DS took Kindermusik for 2 straight years as a toddler and loved it. He's now crazy into the piano. My 2nd DS is only 16 months but we are on our second cass of it and plan on doing two years with him as well. He loves loves loves it. Especially the rhytym...

She's still a bit young for formal lessons, but there's no harm in encouraging this interest with classes, a little keyboard, etc. I'm not familiar with some of the other things mentioned (Music Together, etc.).
Someone DID mention formal lessons at five. I would suggest not starting them until six. I received my degree in music and had a number of years of teaching and what I observed was that MOST 5-year olds do not have the necessary attention span for formal lessons. They do progress, but very slowly. Between 6 and 7 seems to be the golden age for formal lessons. Children are able to grasp concepts better and pay attention for the necessary amount of time that a formal lesson would cover (for a beginner- 1/2 hour, no more). I would second the suggestion that piano is a good one to start with. It' gives the child a spatial awareness of the notes, teaches both clefs, and it's very easy to pick up another instrument once you have those basics down.

Get her a keyboard! A small once for now that she can pounce her little fingers on. I was about 3 when I got my first one and started playing by ear. As soon as she can read, say about 5 start her with piano lessons. I think piano is best because you learn to read both type of note, bass & treble cleft..the basis for any musical instrument. If she starts earlier most piano teachers will do a simple test to see if she is ready for 'lessons'

My son is like that. He's 4 now.
He can even play the drums. Like, really. All on is own.

I want to enroll him in lessons...but well that is a cost we can't afford right now.
We have the Xbox "Rock band" game... my son likes playing instruments.
We just do songs that are not harsh/bad lyrics.

Maybe the Xbox Kinect.... would be good.
It is interactive and uses the whole body.
Try researching that.

But there are many Toddler type music/dance classes.
Google search them for your area.

Music 'classes' per 2 years old... it is mostly Mommy and Toddler type classes, because they are so young. Not them sitting perched on a piano playing. It is group music oriented toddler classes, with Mommy.

There are also Toddler dance classes. For this age. Again, per their age... and it is called "Movement classes" many times.

We do Music Together as well and it's a great class. They focus a lot on the beat, tempo, etc. - the "language" of the music. A lot of music classes for kids are just silly songs with kids bouncing around - Music Together is better than that. Also, we pulled out my husband's ancient keyboard awhile ago and we let my son play on it. He is 2 and he knows how to turn it on - we thought he might just bang on it but he actually plays it correctly (not real songs mind you but he's gentle on the keys). I think the Y starts offering instrument lessons at age 3.

We too did Music Together -- and kept doing new classes each time one session ended! It's based on excellent research about how kids learn musical concepts like rhythm and melody, but to the kids themselves, it's just pure fun. When we did it, the cost included a take-home CD of all the songs they use, which my daughter loved. Any class like this depends on the teacher, of course, but I found the MT teachers to be very well trained and great with young kids. Look up a local teacher online. Your daughter is just the right age for this kind of class and will get a ton out of it.

We do Music Together and it is terrific. It's philosophy is the best there is, and the music is wonderful --even I love it!