by Heather Moger, Founder of Music at Heart
Music at Heart York was the outcome of thirty years’ experience as a music teacher, bringing together the best of everything I had learned through professional training and reflective practice during that time. Following a degree in Music at Oxford, I studied Performance at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, taking on some instrumental teaching in Inner London schools to help pay my way. The direct, on-going nurture of young lives through shared music-making, rather than the indirect hit-and-run of the concert platform brought me greater fulfilment, so I headed for Durham and a PGCE teacher-training course in Secondary School Music – where I met Caitlin’s mum, who has been a dear friend ever since!
After maternity leave and time out with a growing family, my return to work was kick-started by an invitation from my son’s nursery teacher to run a pre-school music class, igniting my interest in early years education. Moving to York in 2010 gave me the opportunity to create something new for the community based on three fundamental beliefs about children’s development…
- every child has unlimited potential
- ability develops early
- environment nurtures growth
… and Music at Heart was born.
Over ten years, the Music at Heart studio grew from a private enterprise serving a self-selecting market to a Community Interest Company with a weekly reach of over a hundred families, offering bursaries to those who wouldn’t otherwise have been able to come along. I established a ‘house style’ that was acclaimed locally as safe and non-judgemental, where anyone could express vulnerability and receive support, and some of our most celebrated successes were with children with autism, foster and adoptive children, and those from troubled homes. Significantly, the teacher-parent/carer relationship was nurtured as fully as that between teacher and child, in the knowledge that parental mental health is vital for child mental health.
With a move to the Outer Hebrides when my husband changed jobs, and the fall-out from the covid pandemic, sadly the doors on Music at Heart York were closed. Thanks to Caitlin’s vision and incorrigible enthusiasm and commitment, it is wonderful that these doors are now re-opened in Leeds.
A message from Caitlin
Heather is my godmother and I was involved in creating the ´Music at Heart at Home´ CD whilst a student at Leeds University. I went to York to observe Heather´s classes and was so inspired that I completed a PGCE after graduation with a view to pursuing early years music teaching in the long term. I trained as a music leader with Sing for Pleasure and completed my Kodály teacher training, whilst working part time for music services and primary schools as a Kodály music specialist.
In 2021, I became a mum and couldn’t find a baby music class in Leeds which fed my soul as a classical musician. I started an informal parent singing group at my house instead, and felt really alive and in my element when leading the sessions! Words of encouragement from friends who came along, as well as from Heather, helped me take a leap of faith and try my hand at small independent business onwership instead of returning to school teaching.
Motherhood has strengthened my deep passion for alternate approaches to education, and opened up my heart to all those taking on the incredible task of parenting. By reviving Music at Heart, I hope to offer an inspiring, gentle space for Leeds families to discover a lifelong love of music.
In August 2023, our Leeds school Music at Heart became a CIC (Community Interest Company). This means we now function as a not-for-profit organisation, which we hope will enable us to access more grant funding in order to improve pre school and early years music provision and better serve our local community.
We work directly with families, offering group music classes for ages 0-4, which we hope to expand to working with 0-7s this September. Using the Kodály approach to music education, we design and deliver high quality music classes; through singing, movement and instrumental playing, children develop musical, social and emotional literacy.
We believe that through supporting parents/carers, the whole family will benefit; so we also offer relaxed singing groups for parents to sing together whilst their children absorb the music around them. We are passionate about providing relaxed, inclusive and accessible musical spaces for young families with quality music provision e.g. we held a Christmas Singalong with a jazz band last year and next year hope to run Family Chamber Music events in addition to our core work.
Our long term dream is to be able to offer an outstanding start to music education for as many children aged 0-7 as we can. We believe in the power of music to transcend all boundaries, bring true joy and change lives. Over the next ten years, we also wish to become a hub for training in the Kodály approach in Leeds, supporting music students, early years staff and experienced musicians alike in developing their early years music leadership skills.
You can see our Companies House profile and read more about our vision and plans here.
Music at Heart 