" I was curious to see how my 2 year old son would respond to Music Together, which is the first structured activity he's been involved in. After the first class I wasn't sure of he liked it, but, after two classes when I realized he was likening things we did at home to things we had done in class ("...'ike 'Icky did in mugit cass!!"), I knew we were onto something. Riki has a wonderful way of inviting kids to participate without putting any pressure on them. She seems to have a really good sense of where each kid is and meeting them in their comfort zone, and gently drawing them out. At our first class she noticed my son's affection for his stuffed dog, Puppy, and added a verse for him in the farewell song--a small gesture that made a huge impression. She finds a way to include each person and celebrate what their doing--whether it's an infant leaning on a drum, a grown up trying to come up with a new dance move, or a toddler venturing to join in something they had been watching others do in previous weeks. She also struck a really nice balance between building ritual, doing some things the same way every week, and keeping it fresh. These things, combined with her relaxed and fun nature and her musical gifts made for a fabulous class. We certainly felt lucky to have Ricky as our son 'a first teacher." ~ Maggie H.
Riki Juster is thrilled to be part of East Bay Music Together! Riki spent her early childhood living in Long Island in New York and was lucky enough to have been taken to Broadway shows and operas at the Met at quite an early age. Her mother was a voice teacher and both her parents performed in musical theater. Singing at home or in the car was second nature. At age 11, her parents decided to move the family (and the Baldwin piano) to Israel. Upon leaving her parents home, Riki lived on a kibbutz for 4 years where she worked as the head childcare giver at daycare center. At the same time, she studied Education at Haifa University for 2 years. In 1999, Riki returned to the US and chose the wonderful Bay Area as her new home base. She managed large scale events such as KFOG Kaboom! and the ESPN X-Games. A few years later, she decided to try her hand at childcare once again and became a nanny. When Riki isn’t teaching Music Together or being a Nanny, she performs at various community theatres (mainly musicals) and volunteers with Nourishing Our Children.
Riki says “I first experienced Music Together in Rockridge when caring for two toddlers and immediately fell in love with the program. I was having just as much fun as they were, if not more! I knew that by teaching Music Together classes, I would be combining two of my greatest passions and hopefully make a difference in children’s lives through movement and music.”
"Riki is great! She has boundless energy and is always fully prepared and
ready to engage. She takes cues from the kids and that guides different
movements or songs she chooses during the class. She's very warm and
personable, paces the class really well, and clearly gets much joy from
what she does!"
--C.L.
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Tuition for all Music Together classes includes family materials to use at home (e.g., recordings of our award-winning music, illustrated songbook, parent education resources). See individual class type pages for details.