https://linktr.ee/piedpiperstudios

Pied Piper Studios, 3892 NW Urbandale Drive, Urbandale, IA (2026)

08/26/2026

Miss Elly, Miss Jenn, and Miss Rebecca deep cleaned the studio yesterday. Annual confirmation emails went out last night to our enrolled families. It’s that time of year! We’re on a short scheduled break while our team does all the behind-the-scenes small business work that keep our classes running the rest of the year.

⭐️Classes automatically resume on Monday, September 7th. We can’t wait to see you!⭐️

In the meantime before our curricular classes resume, we’ve got lots of musical special event activities planned for you next week! Check out our pinned Summer Encore Week post to view them all. Everyone is welcome! You don’t need to be enrolled to enjoy Summer Encore Week with us.

And if you didn’t get an annual confirmation email or you still want to enroll for September, we’d love to hear from you. We’ve got a spot for you. 🫶🏼

08/24/2026

We started with 4 classes and a handful of families in 2006. Two decades and hundreds of families later, here comes our 21st year of making music and memories in the Des Moines area. How lucky are we!? Swipe through to see our 2026-2027 class schedule and learn more about our program.

There are no semesters or sessions that lock you in. Families can get started or stop ANY time of year. You choose the pricing that fits your family’s finances, and we’ll prorate your payment to reflect your start date. Come to as many classes per week as you wish in addition to your homeroom class! Unlimited Attendance is included. We love seeing you.

Early childhood isn’t a race. There is magic in honoring a child’s unique developmental pace and pathway. Our studio’s overlapping age ranges, flexible sibling policy, and inclusive praxis mean you can design the experience that fits your child’s needs and your family’s schedule.

✨FOUNDATIONS:✨
A typical class includes infant massage, gentle rhythmic movement, baby-safe instrument play, lap bounces, simple songs and games, quiet time, and more.

✨LEVEL 1✨
A typical class includes toddler-friendly musical routines, gross motor play, instrument exploration, new and familiar songs, story time, rocking time, and more.

✨LEVEL 2✨
A typical class includes community singing, steady beat activities, instrument exploration and play-along, active listening, dance and expressive movement, story time, rocking time, and more. Level 2 is our top recommendation for families who want to bring multiple children of varying ages to the same class as a family-style experience. Terrific for siblings!

✨LEVEL 3✨
A typical class includes school readiness routines, social/emotional skill building, group singing, imaginary play, instrument exploration, fine motor games, dance and expressive movement, story time, and more. Grownups and siblings join in the final 10 minutes for Sharing Time.

✨LEVEL 4✨
A typical class includes community building activities, cooperative play, group and individual singing opportunities, early musical literacy skills, developmental instrument instruction, musical games, story time, and more. Grownups and siblings join in the final 10 minutes for Sharing Time.

Flexibility. Accessibility. Inclusivity. We want to make it as easy as possible to experience the joy and pleasure music brings to life at every age and every stage. We can't wait to sing with you. 💜

08/21/2026

We heard the news from Kindermusik® International this morning. Pied Piper Studios has been named a Top Program for the 17th consecutive year. And we are proudly among the 50 largest Kindermusik programs in the world. 🎉

When I established the studio 20 years ago, achieving this designation was a big goal of mine. It took me three years to get there and the fact that we’ve held onto this recognition all the years since blows my mind a little bit. My goals have shifted and changed over the past decades. Size is not the metric of success I value most. Relationship is. Nurturing relationships wherein children and families feel seen, connected, supported, empowered, and loved is our real and most important work. It just so happens that this focus also seems to impact the number of families in our care. And I love seeing that too.

Big huge love to Team Pied Piper. This is yours. From their first to their final memories with us, you are making a big difference in children’s lives, in families’ stories, and in parents’ journeys. I am so proud of us. 💜

And endless thanks to all of our musical families- past, present, and future. You are the whole reason. We love you so much. 💜

08/18/2026

It’s always a good day when it’s music day. We’re kicking off September with a very special musical playdate, just for you. 💜

Join us at our studio in Urbandale on September 1st at 10:00am, 11:00am (*edited to update: 11:00am is now unavailable*), or 5:30pm for Hooray For Music Day! Ages 6 months to 5 years, with a caregiver.

Playdates offer all the musical learning benefits of our curricular class experience, plus the celebratory energy of a special event. It’s the perfect way to give our studio a try if you’ve never experienced a class before. Or the perfect way to settle back into music class routines if you’re currently enrolled.

Registration is required and space is limited. Visit our website to grab your spot. You’ll receive streaming access to the music album and digital story from class to accompany your music making at home. Currently-enrolled families can use code MEMBERSHIP at checkout to receive your ticket free-of-charge as a complimentary bonus.

Happy Fall, friends. Hooray for all the music we get to make together! 💜

PS- I have no idea why this post is getting tagged as AI. So frustrating. I wrote every word, friends. And these are all real unedited images from our classes.

08/17/2026

Open Studio week is here! August 17th through the 22nd. See our pinned post for all the details.

💛Monday: 10:00am-Noon and 4:30-6:30pm
💛Tuesday: 10:00am-Noon and 4:30-6:30pm
💛Friday: 10:00am-Noon
💛Saturday: 10:00am-Noon

Drop-in to our air-conditioned studio for casual playtime with friends and our beloved collection of instruments and movement props. Free to currently-enrolled families and $5 at the door for visiting families (Venmo, cash, or check).

08/14/2026

I mean. 🥹 We want this for every family.

Relationship is our top studio value. All the decisions we make flow from there. Including the curriculum we choose (Kindermusik® International is hands down the best of the best!) and the space and community we work to create. So, when we heard this parent share their experience with us, it was so affirming.

Every child deserves embodied, empowering, delightful, musical connection with people who love them. And grownups deserve spaces that see, support, validate, and root for their families. (Accessibility is deeply important to us and the reason we offer sliding scale tuition.)

Music makes a difference. We know this is true. “It improved the way he sees his world” 💜

Lots of love and big thanks to this parent. And to all the grownups singing, dancing, rhyming, and reading to your littles out there. You are doing beautiful work.

08/12/2026

Congratulations to our 2025-2026 Kindermusik Graduates! We are so proud of you!! 🎓💜🎶

We gathered last weekend to mark this milestone with diplomas and fancy hats, music making and responsive speaking, confetti cookie treats (thank you, Thistle’s Summit !) and all the proper early childhood pomp and circumstance. Level 4 classes meet one final time this week for their Favorites Class- a curated collection of all the songs, stories, activities, and musical adventures uniquely beloved to each class section community.

Sharing this time, this curriculum, this growth, these skills, this community, and all the memories we’ve made has been a privilege we take with serious joy. Thanks for trusting us, Level 4 families. You’ve given your child an incredible gift.

Music goes with you everywhere. Always. 💜

08/11/2026

It’s gonna be a splendid September, friends. 💙 Cue Summer Encore Week! We’ve packed the first week of our 20th anniversary with a medley of musical events and activities for you and your crew.

All of our Summer Encore events are FREE to currently-enrolled families. And most of them are also free and open to the public! We adore making music out and about in the community we love. And we hope to see you at one or more of the following:

💙 Musical Meetups: Come hang out with us at a local park for a morning of sweet and simple outdoor music making and park playtime with friends. Free and open to the public. All ages welcome. We suggest bringing a blanket. Check back on our social media for weather updates, if necessary.

💙 Musical Playdates: These special events are full of musical delight. It’s all the magic of our classroom experience plus the celebratory energy of a special event. Registration is required to attend our September playdates and includes streaming access to a curated album of the music from class. Currently-enrolled families, use code MEMBERSHIP to claim your free ticket when you register.

💙 Musical Storytime: If you haven’t been to Miss Rebecca’s Wednesday morning Read & Rhyme Storytime at 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 🌈 in Highland Park yet, this is the perfect week to go check it out! Always free and open to the public.

💙 Family Festival & Concert with the Des Moines Symphony : Come see us in the Children’s Village at Water Works Park to make a castanet and a rainbow wrist streamer. Stay for a family-friendly and unforgettable live concert experience!

Hop over to our website’s calendar anytime to view the whole week’s line-up and read more of the details.

It’s been another incredible year of doing what we love with the people we adore. We can’t wait for more! See you during our Summer Encore!!

08/09/2026

A wee ask. Can you help us get to this milestone before September? It’s silly and social media is cuckoo bananas and the least favorite part of my job. But still. It would feel fun.

If you can, tag somebody you think would be happy to learn we exist in this musical corner of the world.

(And finally- hip hip hooray for Graduation day!! We are so very proud of our Graduates and can’t wait to celebrate you! We’ll share photos from today right here later this week.)

Thanks, friends! You’re the very best. 🩷

08/06/2026

The bee’s knees. The cat’s pajamas. The ant’s pants. Miss Rebecca is an absolute gem we all love and adore. 💕 Grownups gush and children marvel on the regular in her presence. She is magic. IYKYK.

And this fall, she is floating into some very well-deserved rest. We could not be happier for her. After TWELVE years in our classrooms, next week she’ll teach her last few ongoing, year-round curricular classes at the studio.

But good news! She’s not going anywhere, friends. Miss Rebecca will remain a beloved member of Team Pied Piper, and she’ll still be sharing her magical musical storytimes, special events, and other studio-sponsored activities in the community. It’s a shift. Not an ending.

Please help us thank her for what this past decade-plus season of music making has been, and help us congratulate her on what the next season holds! Share your memories and wishes and stories and gratitude for Rebecca to feel and know. 💕

We love you so much, Miss Rebecca. You are the very best. Thanks for seeing and knowing us so well all these many years. We are excited for the new ways that will continue with us and for you to enjoy a deep breath. We are ever in awe and delight of you.

Rebecca Gruber

Pied Piper Studios

08/26/2026

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08/21/2026

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