Creating a Musical Culture at Home

Children will naturally grow to value the things that are truly valued in the home. When I was a child, my dad was a big fan of the San Francisco Giants. He followed them faithfully in the paper and on TV, and so when I started showing an interest in baseball, we would talk about the Giants, go to games together, and naturally I became an avid Giants fan—even though we lived in Dallas, home of the Texas Rangers! My father’s genuine and sincere interest in the S.F. Giants was simply contagious to me. Part of our “family culture” was cheering on the Giants.

Likewise, we can establish a life-long love of music in our children if we create a musical culture in the home. This begins with developing your own genuine interest in good music. Culture and values can never be imposed—they can only be shared. Even if you don’t play an instrument, you can develop and demonstrate your love of good music by listening to it, singing along with it, dancing to it, learning about it, and talking about it. Certainly, not everything you play in the home has to be “classical” music—it’s wonderful to enjoy high-quality music of many styles. If you play an instrument, don’t let it sit in your closet gathering dust. Turn off the TV or computer during your free-time, pull out your instrument and have some fun learning to play a new song. Or revive an old song you used to enjoy playing. When children see you enjoying music, they too will be drawn to it and will inevitably develop a life-long love of music, as well as a stronger motivation to practice their instrument so they can have as much fun as mom and dad!