Enrichment Class Or School Assembly: Which Should Our Preschool Book First?

A director calls us and says something like, "We'd like to add music, but I don't know where to start. Should we book a show for the whole school or try a weekly class?" It's one of the questions we hear most from preschools.

Our answer is almost always the same. Book the assembly first, and have us teach an enrichment class demo that same day, before the show. You get to see both in one visit.

Why we suggest starting with the assembly

An assembly gets everyone in one room: the kids, the teachers, and often the director too. It's an easy way to get to know us. In one visit you hear our songs, see how our teachers talk with young kids, and watch how your children respond.

A weekly program is a bigger decision. It goes on the schedule for weeks or months, and you may need to talk it over with families or an owner first. Most directors want to see us in person before they commit to that, and the assembly is a simple way to do it. If you want a sense of what makes a good show for this age, we wrote about it in our post on preschool assembly ideas. You can see what our shows include on our preschool shows and school assemblies page.

Add a class demo the same morning

This is the part a lot of schools don't think to ask for. On assembly day, we can come in early and teach a sample class with one of your groups before the show starts.

A class and an assembly work differently. An assembly is a performance for a big group. A class is smaller, and every child gets to play. Kids hold the instruments, take turns, and follow a teacher who is working with them up close. Our preschool enrichment classes run 30 minutes, and the demo is the same length and format as a regular class.

Seeing both on one day gives you a clear picture. You see how we handle a full room at the assembly, and you see how a weekly class would run in one of your classrooms. Your staff only has to plan around one visit instead of two.

What your teachers get out of it

If you add a weekly program, your teachers are the ones who'll be in the room with us each week. Their opinion matters a lot here. The demo lets them watch a class with their own kids, so they can see how we handle the child who wanders to the door, the child who wants every drum, and the group that gets loud.

After the visit, ask them what they thought. Did the kids stay with it? Did the class fit into the morning without throwing off snack or recess? Their answers are the best way to judge whether weekly music would work in your building. If they want to know who would be teaching, they can read about our team on our teachers page.

What the kids get out of it

For the kids, it's a morning of music. One group gets a class where every child plays, and then everyone gets the show. Kids who were in the demo often recognize the teacher and some of the songs at the assembly, and they tend to join in faster.

At this age, music time is mostly singing, listening, and moving together. A PBS KIDS for Parents article on the benefits of music education quotes the NAMM Foundation saying that this kind of music-rich experience helps children as they move into formal learning. A demo class and an assembly include all three.

Deciding what comes next

After the visit, you'll have a good idea of whether weekly music fits your school. If it does, our enrichment programs run anywhere from 6 to 40 weeks, weekly or biweekly, during the school day or after school. The curriculum is aligned to early childhood standards, so it works alongside what your teachers already do.

Some schools go with a longer program right away. Others start with a shorter session and add weeks later. Some keep booking assemblies a few times a year and hold off on weekly classes for now. Any of those can work. If you're still deciding whether enrichment belongs in your school at all, our post on whether preschools should have music enrichment classes goes into that question in more detail.

Planning the visit

When you reach out, it helps to know roughly how many kids will be at the assembly, their age range, and which group you'd like for the demo class. Some schools pick a group whose teacher is curious about music. Others pick a class that could use something new in the morning. We'll work out timing with you so the demo ends before the show and both fit around your schedule.

👉 Ready to see us in person? Contact us or call 732-205-1971 to book an assembly with a class demo the same day.

Thanks for reading,
The Rockness Crew
Rockness Music