Forging an emotional connection with your child early on is critical to setting the foundation for a healthy relationship. Music is one activity that fathers (and all family members) can engage in with their children right from… birth.
Shankar Mahadevan Academy
I don’t know about you, but I learned to love music from my family. In the kitchen my grandmother played the radio as she cooked, and sang along with her favorite gospel songs. She sang nursery rhymes to me that are embedded in every cell. When my sister and I slept over at her house, we went to sleep by the sound of our aunt’s record player dropping LPs of Perry Como, Elvis and Doris Day- the favorite. Our mother, who had an untrained but splendid soprano voice, sang for every wedding, funeral and special event in our town. She was always escorted by my father who joined her in the choir where he shared his mellow bass vocals. Sounds idyllic doesn’t it – and it was to some extent. Like many lucky children, these are the memories and experiences that nurtured my life as a musician and person.
It isn’t necessary for a child to go into music as a profession or for the adults in their lives to be musically trained for these types of musical memories to have impact. Music teachers love it when students share that they enjoy opera because a family member sings it badly around the house or they saw it with cousins at the STRAZ. Or, they request a Bob Dylan song during free listening time because they share it with their dad when they go on trips. But many times theses early memories aren’t appreciated until later because..
We rebel! Our music becomes that separation from the known and bonds us to a new group – teenage. If this happens, resist the urge to reject or judge and find out more. I learned recently that the band our daughter tortured us with and that my husband and I secretly called “evil” was a Christian Metal group. Imagine.
Music is the only way to run away from home without leaving the house.
unknown genius
Currently many families are blended or the grandparents have taken on the responsibility of raising grandchildren as their own. Getting to know the musical tastes of family members, especially teenagers and pre-teens can go a long way to form meaningful interactions. As the holidays approach it is a great time to create new traditions with music. Gratitude and appreciation are themes that can be found in many songs and can be a safe way of sharing what you feel through the lyrics. Lyrics speak louder than words.
So, if you haven’t started sharing your musical tastes with family and friends across the generations, now is a great time to start! It doesn’t have to be in person either. Digitize your old “mix tapes” and share your playlists on zoom and see what happens. As we struggle to connect in new ways, make music one of them.
Here are some reasons why
“Between grandparents and grandkids the appreciation of a good beat goes both ways”
Pull out your old band instrument or piano music when a third grader brings home the recorder or buy your own. Knowing the notes BAG or simple chords are all you need and playing or learning music keeps the brain working no matter what your age. As this article in Flux Magazine points out, music makes connections cross many barriers and enhances and strengthens bonds between others.
“Turn off your old dad rock n roll” and move your musical tastes into the 21st century as this article in Fatherly Magazine suggests. (link below)
Click below to enjoy Fatherly Magazine article
Three generations of music enthusiasts!
Pages created by (HCEMEC) Hillsborough County Elementary Music Educators Council Advocacy, HCPS K-5 Music. We support positive views of Music Education and encourage active participation in local, state & national legislative issues related to arts education.
We provide training and continuing education to HCPS K-5 music educators to ensure that we give opportunities for success in music for all of our elementary students.
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Disclaimer: This blog is for information sharing purposes only and intended solely to provide families and interested parties with material supporting the furthering of music and the importance of music education. Those supporting materials are the concepts of their authors and creators and we hold no rights or responsibility to those materials except for our stated intent. HCEMEC does not support or gain from any advertisement in any external link on any pages or posts.
Hillsborough County Elementary Music Advocacy 