Justine Chadly, the owner of In Harmony Music in Benicia. (Courtesy photo)

Babies: they laugh, cry, brighten our world, keep us up at night and are our future. Parents always want the best for their kids and for them to excel in whatever they choose to do in life.
Justine Chadly, founder and owner of In Harmony music, is a mother who had– and certainly still has– those same hopes for her son when they first moved to Benicia when she was a single mother at 21. Not much explanation should be needed to express the disappointment Chadly felt when the only extracurricular activities available for her son were sports. Chadly had grown up with music starting with the Oakland Youth Choir at age 9, and she was not going to give it up any time soon.
After first attending San Francisco State University for a degree in the field of psychology, Chadly found her passion did in fact lay in music, specifically early childhood music education. Chadly got her Bachelor of Arts in vocal performance from UC Berkeley, as singing tends to provide a solid basis for all music education. She then went on to pursue her master’s in early childhood music education. Chadly incorporates thesis on her blog periodically, more information about her studies and the science behind her classes can be found there.
Chadly saw no music program was available at Mary Farmar Elementary School, which her son attended, and decided to take action by volunteering there as a music teacher. Chadly went on to start giving classes through the Parks and Recreation department in 2003.
In wanting to provide for others what was not available for her son at first, Chadly opened In Harmony Music in Benicia in 2015.
In Harmony focuses on bringing families together for something throughout the week. Different classes are held for babies and children ranging from just a few months old to around 9.
One may already think, how does one teach an 8-month-old baby make music? According to Chadly, parent involvement is the key to how the classes are structured.The classes themselves are meant to show positive, inclusive and fun behavior from adults because babies often replicate adult behavior. Chadly explained that kids will pick up things like language faster in her class by the process of enculturation.
Furthermore, Chadly expressed that those with early music exposure often have an easier time picking up social and linguistic skills. Coming together with the same group a couple of times a week with parents, “greatly helps with their social skills going into school,” she said.
Chadly’s business has taken off since its debut. In Harmony now has locations in Napa, Vacaville and San Francisco in addition to the original Benicia studio.
How do the classes work? They run from 9:30 to around 10:15 in a small but spacey one room studio. The floor is largely covered in a soft black, red and white mat. The walls are a soft and warm lime green. Two guitars hang from one wall, and a piano sits closeby. After taking in the space, the young students and their parents begin streaming in for their class.
A young music teacher named Althea D’Souza greets all the mothers and their toddlers, babies or young kids. This past week, D’Souza led the group with an air of calm, collected ease only a real professional could. She had no trouble handling any kids wandering away from the group and even incorporated some of the children’s suggestions into the music they were singing. It was at its heart a fun, peaceful, healing, therapeutic experience to be immersed in. There was something poetic about seeing these parents holding a length of colorful rope, encircling, nurturing, protecting and loving their children who sat in the middle, watching in wonder.
“Music is a language that can bring anyone together, even people from different walks of life.” D’Souza expressed while explaining why she enjoyed teaching children at In Harmony.
“I would like to do more outreach,” Chadly said in regards to where she would like to take her business next. “I would love for more people in the community to know that this is an inclusive, healthy and healing experience for all ages. I also want to keep bringing on more great performers and educators to lead my classes and community.”
Chadly also made it clear that her class is “not just something to do.” It is all a creative act: the music, play and dance are all meant to be cooperative for the kids to learn in a safe and creative space.
“Their music is theirs,” she said.
On the note of being inclusive, Chadly actively encourages families with children who have special needs to sign up and participate as well.
In harmony is located at 101 East H St., Suite D. To sign up for classes, contact Chadly at her business email at admin@inharmony.net or phone at (707) 492-5795. More information can be found at www.inharmonymusic.net, and more information on Chadly’s studies can be found on her blog at blog.inharmonymusic.net. Yet more information is available through the business’ Facebook and Instagram pages at Facebook.com/InHarmonyMusicCA/ and @inharmonymusicca respectively.
Signups for the fall are currently availably. Classes will run from Sept. 13 to Nov. 18.

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