Music and What To Do About It

Think back on your musical journey…did you play music as you grew up?  Piano?  Band?  Orchestra?  Did you sing?  Perhaps you listed to rebellious music with parental advisories and wild album covers..or, you listened to pop radio and bough 99 cent cassette singles at Musicland…In your 20s, maybe you went to hear bands in bars and clubs.  You had time to find obscure record stores with indy gems.  And you listened.  And it was a lot of work. But..then you had kids.  Maybe you went with educational tunes (abcs, counting, itsy bitsy spider)..You…you retreated to NPR, political talk radio, and sports radio..or did you get into satellite radio?  What role does music plan in you and your kids life now?

I will admit that this column might be influenced by my listening to Fight the Power and 100 miles and running while getting ready in high school.  I love music rockin’ while doing anything.

In the car/van/truck, you might listen to audio books or sports or news.  The kids are getting older now. 

What music do you play?  Is music a part of the kids’ experience when they are out back in the yard?  When they are taking a bath?

If it is, should you start exposing them to the kind of music you liked?  Or a broader scope?  Or musically complicated stuff?  

Lots of questions.  A couple pop lit reviews of research, right off the bat.  It seems that music is good for kids (especially if they can learn to play something, though the Mozart effect seems to be frowned upon these days).  The first step to playing music seems like it would be listening to music.  This piece is to help you think about how to do that.

My recommendations for music are these.  First, for you, find the music you liked when you were young and download “clean” versions for yourself.  Trust me, no matter how much new music you sample, you’ll never find music that brings you as much enjoyment as the music from your youth.  I don’t necessarily think Lil Wayne is hackneyed or Lady Gaga is weird out.  I just think that I don’t get them.  B-52s, Spin Doctors, Public Enemy, Whitney Houston, those artists I get.  Artists of today?  I just don’t.  So, get what you like and remember.  Then, if you want more, find the musical influences of your favorite artists and find those.  

I’ve followed mine back to Gil Scott Heron, Jefferson Airplane, Queen, and Marvin Gaye.  Get into those guys then move into the music for your kids. Much like many things in parenting, you have to be musically happy first, in order to fulfill your kids' needs.  This column is about music for your kids and how to introduce it.  First, I am not a huge fan of strictly music in the car…

I almost completely audio book in the car with kids.  My favorites include the Frances Series, lots of the 

Disney stories, and several from Itunes.  We don’t do a ton of music in the car.  Why?  Because I have them on seatbelt lock down.  I can have them to listen to both stories and learning stuff.

I play music at two major times.  (1)  When we are outside or inside for an extended period.  (2) when we are doing chores we do not want to be doing (like baths or cleaning up). 

I organize my music into four major areas.

1.  Music I think my kids should listen to, but I did/do not:  reggae, French, jazz, classical, international, religious.

2.  Music I think my kids should listen to because it is fun: 80s and 90s music (Pearl Jam, 2pac, Michael Jackson, Kriss Kross)

3.  Music from movies or stage shows we have seen: (Frozen, Sofia the First, Planes, and Fiddler on the Roof recently)

3.  Music that is fun (and may or may not fit into 1, 2, or 3):  Each spring I come up with outside mixes that are long, so they can cover 2 hours of outside play or 20 minutes.

I try to read the lyrics, even if I think I know them.  They cannot be borderline.  If a song is borderline (and somehow I missed its being right on the edge), it is immediately taken down. 

Music is fun and definitely can add to the positive vibe to any situation.  Though I like fun, I also want to expand palates, increase knowledge, and expose kids to influences.

Though my use of music works for me, find a way to make it work for you.  I’ve rediscovered many songs from when I was young, as I have gone back to look for music for my kids.  Where are all those old CDs of yours?