MUSIC can be good for the soul.  We may have varying opinions about what qualifies as “good” music, but most of us listen to music because it brings us pleasure, as a part of worship, or it helps us relax and unwind.

Thanks to my dad, music was a constant part of life in our family growing up. We were exposed and listened to all kinds of music, but his favorite genres were/are jazz and opera.   Music played during dinners, parties, while cooking, while reading, and when the family was just hanging out.  My brother and I learned to appreciate all kinds of music and we took lessons in both guitar and piano.  Much to my father’s surprise and chagrin now, my brother and I both regularly listen to country music a not his favorite genre. Christian praise music has been an important part in my faith walk as well.

I still love listening to and dancing to music.  We played a lot of music in our home as the kids grew up too.  There was frequent dancing as well, something my daughter and I like to do now with her young boys.  It’s just FUN.

When I was teaching Ancient World History to 6^th graders, I would incorporate music into daily lessons.  When we studied Ancient Egypt, I would play Egyptian music, when we studied Ancient China, I would play instrumental Chinese music, and so on.  Music set a tone in the classroom and made us feel a bit enveloped by the specific culture we were studying.   It often created a calmness in the classroom, and I think it even helped the kids relate to the culture they were learning about.  After hands-on activities that created a bit of a mess in the classroom, I would play Pharrell’s HAPPY when it was time to clean up.  It worked:  it set the perfect tone as the kids started bopping around the room and putting things away!

We can set the same tones in our homes.  If we want our little ones to have daily time away from devices where they spend some time reading, music can help set a calm and focused tone.   In the classroom, I typically selected instrumental music so that the lyrics would not distract from what we were reading or writing about, but we can select whatever works best for our families.  Anything can be found on YouTube:  praise songs for kids,  instrumental Hebrew music, instrumental Latin music, sounds of nature, screenplays like The Lion King, or one that never disappoints, The Piano Guys!   Our kids can even select the genre of music they’d like to hear, and we can just type in “instrumental” at the beginning of the search bar.  

We’re exposing our kids to culture through music, as well as encouraging reading.  They may look forward to both the music and the reading time.  In the crazy pace of life, creating moments with good music while BOOKING TIME WITH OUR KIDS may be just what is needed.  Now your family just has to agree on what type of music qualifies as “good”!

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