The Love of Music

I have never pressured my children into music lessons. My mother told me how much she disliked being "forced" to play when she was growing-up. Considering that, I wanted my children to wait until they were an appropriate age, so they could choose (choosing is EVERYTHING when it comes to music!) what they would like to try, and go from there. We decided that school bands and orchestras, were the "right" (for us) time. That meant age 10, and in the 5th grade. 

I would never force piano lessons/music lessons/band/orchestra/instrument/choir, etc., on ANYONE. Music is meant to be loved and adored -- not forced. It is meant to flow into your very being, so that it permeates your very soul. Shoving music down someones throat is not -- in my humble and unstudied opinion -- the way to accomplish a love of music. It should happen naturally, I believe. 

If you want your children to love, adore, and seek after music, then make it a normal part of your daily life. Have music in your home. Sing together, play spoon & bowl drums together, do karaoke together. Have beautiful and magical music playing on the radio. Watch wholesome music videos together. Take them to concerts. Expose them to music, let it sink in. Music is powerful . . . it will work its way into their little souls, if you allow it to. 

There is no reason to force it. Forcing music is like forcing joy -- you cannot do it. Oh, you can try though... no thanks! 

We have tried to instill a love of music in our home. And, so far, it seems to be working according to my love-of-music plan . . . WaHaha!!!! 

Miss Sammi, our oldest, LOVES music. I suppose the word obsessed is more like it. She is always listening to, singing, or watching, music in some form. It is a beautiful thing, really. It has been wonderful to watch Sammi develop her musical talents, by discovering what she likes, and what she LOVES overtime -- in her own time. 

Over the years she has taught herself to play the piano. And now she is playing in Young Womens, and she will be accompanying us at the Senior Center this Sunday. She spent two years in elementary school band: one year clarinet, another on the saxophone. She learned to read music, and discovered she loved the piano most of all. And now I often have to make her stop playing, so she will go to bed. (She has been possessed by the "Angel of Music".) 

Daniel just started his musical journey this year, and he has chosen the trumpet. His teacher recommended a different instrument because there were a lot of trumpets already, but I said, "No!" Daniel wants to play the trumpet, and he has had to wait until now to play a musical instrument, so you had better believe I am going to help him play what he wants to play, not what someone else needs to make the band sound better! I wrote a little note, and he will, indeed, be playing trumpet this year. We started him listening to Louis Armstrong for inspiration. I am excited to hear him progress and grow . . . maybe he will love it, maybe he won't. It is all up to him. 

William was watching The Lawrence Welk show with me (great nostalgic music!), and he started clapping along with one of the songs. I noticed he had great rhythm, and I told him so. Guess what William did for the rest of the night? Yep, clapping, clapping, clapping! And the seeds of loving music are planted! He also can be heard singing along with the other children while Sammi plays her Les Miserables music. William also does a pretty sweet, "Phantom of the Opera" voice. 

Henry is exposed to music more than any of the other children, just by being alive. The children are all in tight living quarters, so when Sammi is playing Les Mis songs, or Phantom, Henry soaks it all in. His favorite song is "One Day More," from Les Mis. He will sing it for you, if he is in the mood. He also likes to sing, "Look down, Look down," from Les Mis . . . it is hilarious. Monkey see, monkey do, right? Right. 

And the music seeps in . . . and becomes a part of them. Even the babies! 

My biggest problem now with my children is how to get them to stop! (No, not really, I NEVER want them to stop loving music. Not ever!) Even when the piano is being played violently, or the trumpet sounds like a dying elephant . . . how could I not love music? 

The music that comes from the souls of my children, oh how beautiful it is to me. May they ALWAYS love it. 

On that same note . . . (pun intended), Sammi put together our Family Home evening last night, she chose to do it on Music. 

She made these little worksheets for everyone to fill out . . . 

And after that, we each got to pick our Number One Favorite song, and find it on youtube and everyone got to listen to it... that was FUN!

-William chose the theme from Walle

-Daniel chose the theme from The Lord of the Rings

-Sammi chose The Music of the Night, from The Phantom of the Opera

-Charles chose The Masters Call, by Marty Robbins

-I chose La Vie En Rose performed by Louis Armstrong (one of my favorite performers, ever!) If you do not know the song, youtube search it, it is AWESOME!!!!

It was hard to narrow it down to just ONE song to pick as a favorite. But it was also interesting to see how the music that you pick as your favorite, can also define who you are as a person. So maybe we need to consider the music we listen to, because it is shaping our very souls!

I feel blessed to have grown up in a house full of music. There was music ALL.THE.TIME. It has helped shaped who I am.

Perhaps you did not have that in your home growing up. But if you want it, you CAN have it now.

Infuse music into your life today! It is powerful!

Oh, and just very curious . . . do you have a number ONE favorite song? I know it is hard to narrow it down...