Chicago Mini Musicians

Chicago Mini Musicians, a satellite location of the Brookfield Academy for Mini Musicians, offers ‘caregiver and me’ music and movement classes for children from 4 months to 4 years old. Originally founded in 2011 as Ms. Clara’s Mini Musicians, the program has served over 2,000 families and has built a strong reputation for high-quality early childhood music education in the Chicagoland area.

The program is led by ‘Ms. Clara’ D’Onofrio, a fifth-generation musician and daughter of two symphony musicians, who holds a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Northwestern University. Her unique curriculum combines her expansive musical background with child development expertise to create age-specific classes that target developmental milestones at every stage.

Classes are offered for three age groups: Munchkin Maestros (4-18 months), Mini Maestros (1.5-2.5 years), and Merry Maestros (older 2s and 3s). Each program is designed to grow with children, incorporating socialization, language development, motor skills, turn-taking, circle time, and joint attention in a fun and supportive environment. The unique skill-building curriculum consists of over 200 professionally recorded songs, mostly Ms. Clara originals, which are included free with tuition for families to enjoy at home.

Classes are taught start to finish by talented musicians and educators, not pre-recorded tracks, allowing children to learn about music organically. Each class incorporates handheld instruments and props such as shaker eggs, rhythm sticks, hand puppets, and triangles. The program prepares children for preschool and kindergarten while building both musical and non-musical skills.

Chicago Mini Musicians classes are held at Sway Dance Chicago in the family-friendly Irving Park neighborhood, featuring spacious, immaculately clean studio space with plenty of street parking. The program operates on a month-to-month basis with no large upfront payments, complicated contracts, or semester minimums. Siblings of different ages are welcome to attend classes together with special discounts available.