Music classes for kids in New York City

Whether your mini-Beethovens are angling to learn how to rock out on electric guitars or learn more dulcet piano skills, these music classes for kids run the gamut from contemporary to classical. Once they learn the basics, students can move on to ensembles and bands to bring their fierce talents to the stage. Scroll down to peruse our list of the coolest music classes for kids in New York City.

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Bloomingdale School of Music
Classes here build on skills from one series to the next, from Baby and Toddler's First Music Class all the way up to Dalcroze Eurhythmics. Older kids (ages 6 to 10) can move on to group classes in keyboard, violin, percussion, guitar and voice. 323 W 108th St between Broadway and Riverside Dr (212-663-6021, bsmny.org). Fall session begins Sept 19. Seventeen classes $480--$540. Ages 3 months to 10 years.

Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
The comprehensive curriculum at this music school founded in 1897 and housed in a five-story Victorian Gothic mansion ranges from Music Adventures classes for toddlers (with or without parents) to Suzuki Method classes, blues bands and chamber ensembles. 58 Seventh Ave at Lincoln Pl, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-622-3300, bqcm.org). Fall session begins Sept 19. Fifteen classes $325 and up. Ages 1 and up.

Brooklyn Guitar School
Little rockers strum along to classics like "Satisfaction" and "Wild Thing." The school provides instruments, so your kid doesn't have to lug his guitar to and from class on the subway. And if guitar's not your child's thing, she can rock out on the piano or take voice lessons instead. 81 Fourth Ave between St. Marks Pl and Warren St, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-855-5400, brooklynguitarschool.com). Ongoing enrollment. Unlimited classes $133 per month or $99 per month for one class a week. Ages 8 and up.

Church Street School for Music and Art
For more than 20 years this not-for-profit institution has provided a range of arts programming. Toddlers and preschoolers can take general classes in music and movement or visual arts, while school-age children dive into more-specific studies in piano, drumming, digital photography, hip-hop dance and more. The school also offers private and group lessons on any instrument, as well as a band program for tweens and teens and several drop-in classes. 74 Warren St between Greenwich St and West Broadway (212-571-7290, churchstreetschool.org). Fall classes begin Sept 10. Eighteen classes $530 and up. Ages 16 months and up.

City Stomp
The family-based City Stomp program is centered around three CDs, each of which includes songs about life in the city—topics range from taxis and garbage trucks to Coney Island and the subway—and highlights music from different cultures. Various locations in Brooklyn (718-483-1690, citystompmusic.com). Fall session begins Sept 24. Ten classes $215, plus one-time $15 registration fee per family. Ages 6 months to 5 years.

The Early Ear
Teachers introduce babies to music through sing-alongs; as they grow, children learn to read music and play their own (kid-sized) instruments in ensembles. In the dance program, students turn a series of basic movements into routines, culminating in an end-of-session recital for friends and family. Various locations in Manhattan (212-877-7125, theearlyear.com). Fall session begins Sept 4. Fourteen classes $560 and up. Ages 4 months to 5 years.

Eastside Westside Music Together
Even the littlest kids can benefit from early exposure to music and movement, and this uptown branch of the global program (found in more than 20 countries) now welcomes children from birth through age seven. Mixed-age classes enable older kids to lead wee ones in singing, moving, chanting and musical-instrument exploration. Grown-ups play too, creating a vibrant community of music makers. While mommy-and-me classes have been this spot's bread and butter for years, they've recently introduced big-kid classes, which teach five-, six- and seven-year-olds basic music literacy and do not require parent participation. Various locations in Manhattan (212-496-1242, eswsmusictogether.com). Fall session begins Sept 19. Twelve classes $458--$528; eight classes $352 (baby). Ages birth to 7 years.

Lucy Moses School
Just a stone's throw away from Lincoln Center and Juilliard, the school offers classes in everything from Jewish music to creating electronic tunes using GarageBand software. Kids may take private instrument lessons or explore music through jazz-ensemble, music-theory and composition programs. The center offers lessons in dance, theater and digital media, too. 129 W 67th St between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave (212-501-3360, kaufman-center.org/lms). Fall session begins Sept 16. Fifteen classes $400 and up. Ages 1 and up.

Park Slope Rock School
Tweens and teens learn the ABC's of rock (think rhythm, chord progressions and instrument technique), as well as more-advanced subjects like improvisation and stage presence, while collaborating in bands. At the end of the semester, the bands get a hands-on lesson and recording session at Williamsburg's Bunker Studios and a final show at Rockwood Music Hall. Complete Music Studios, 227 St. Marks Ave at Vanderbilt Ave, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (psrockschool.com). Fall session begins in mid-September. Twelve classes $550. Ages 8 and up.

Third Street Music School Settlement
The curriculum here ranges from Musikgarten classes to Bilingual Birdies, which helps little ones learn French, Spanish or Mandarin through song and dance. 235 E 11th St between Second and Third Aves (212-777-3240, thirdstreetmusicschool.org). Fall session begins Sept 8. Thirty-two classes $1,190, 16 classes $595, single class $20 and up. Ages 8 to 12.

TLB Music
Led by instructors and professional pianists in group classes, young musicians embark on a different themed "journey" each semester at the school formerly known as Three Little Birds Music. This fall, kids explore "Noisy New York"—Apollo Theater jazz, hip-hop from the Bronx, the Met's operas and the salsa of SOB's—through movement and age-appropriate instruments. 266 E 78th St between Second and Third Aves (212-744-0404, tlbmusic.com). Fall session begins Sept 6. Fourteen classes $616 and up, drop-in class $48. Ages 4 months to 6 years.

WeBop
This popular music-based program gets kids swinging, stomping, soloing and jamming—all while developing their ear for jazz. Jazz at Lincoln Center, 33 W 60th St between Broadway and Columbus Ave (212-258-9922, jalc.org/webop). Fall session begins Sept 25. Eight classes $350. Ages 8 months to 5 years.