With much of today's popular music being so dumbed-down and full of vapid lyrics at best, and violent and sexually explicit lyrics at worst, exposing your children to classical music is now more important than ever. In today's video, I make a case for why you should play classical music in your home and while you're driving. Of course, it's not the only type of music you should play, but if you introduce it to them while they are young, they will cultivate an appreciation for it now and be able to discern between enriching music and music that leaves a lot to be desired.
Here are some tips outlined in today's video:
- Play classical music in the car and play it in the home.
- Play it whether you feel like listening to it or not. If you only played it when you felt like listening to it, you might not play it very much.
- Regular listening will help them develop a love for it. The only reason why I like classical music is because I heard it in my home growing up and it gives me positive connotations.
- Much of popular music today is dumbed-down with repetitive, simplistic beats. Plus the lyrics are down right wrong in many popular songs. Do we want our children to sing those songs and have those lyrics in their head? While this might not be a popular opinion of mine, it has a lot of merit. Check out the lyrics of the songs on the top 40 lists across the country and truly examine whether you want your children to be saying the words in those songs.
- Not only listen to classical music, but learn about the composer's lives. Many of the great composers like Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Bach were true geniuses who cultivated their musical skills early in life.
Did you know that Mozart was writing his own compositions by the age of 6?! He wrote his first opera, Mitridate Re di Ponto, in 1770 when he was only 14 years old.
Chopin was composing and writing poetry at six, and gave his first public concerto performance at the age of eight. To make money in his early career, Chopin taught piano lessons. He was a big fan of Bach, so he made his students play Bach's compositions.
Did you know that Johann Sebastian Bach had 20 children? (How did he have time to compose? No seriously?)
Your homework is to listen to Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor "Moonlight" Op. 27 No. 2 : III presto agitato. Click the link and listen to it on YouTube for free. I also list an album below which includes the song.
Now please note, before my critics get up in arms, I am not saying that all modern music is bad. Certainly not! I am saying that it is important to hold on to the appreciation of classical music, which has so many beneficial qualities. Playing classical music will instantly relax you. Your children will work and play longer if they are listening to classical music in the background. It stimulates your thinking and can boost your creativity. I have written most of my books while listening to classical music. It is a great motivator!
I am a big fan of Classical KUSC, which is a free public radio station that you can listen to on the radio at 91.5, or online any time of day. They are a listener- supported station, so there are no advertisements. I believe what they do is important, so I am a sustaining member at Classical KUSC.
Of course, you can listen to classical music many other ways, including over iTunes, Pandora, or dig out some old CDs that you likely have in your music collection. Whatever you do, commit to listening to more of it today. It will enrich your life for the better. I promise!
Here are some great albums to get you introduced to classical music:
Beethoven Best-Loved Piano Sonatas This is one of my favorite albums with the famous Moonlight Sonata included. The song I mention in the video, Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor "Moonlight" Op. 27 No. 2 : III presto agitato is also number 3 on this album.
Laser Light Classics Ave Maria This is such a beautiful album and every song is truly magnificent.
Joshua Bell Romance of the Violin This album is full of romantic violin classics, beautifully played by Joshua Bell.
The Essential Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma is the world's most famous cellist and in this classic album, he plays a variety of composers, the perfect introduction to classical music.
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Comment of the Week
Regarding last week's post Let's Talk About Adulting, Life on Huckleberry Hill writes:
Adult privileges and adult responsibilities used to come hand in hand. Having worked in the field of Early Childhood Education for many years, it has been my observation that this is often no longer the case. Privileges that used to be reserved for adulthood are being given at earlier and earlier ages, while responsibility in general seems to be increasingly delayed. I have also noticed a shift in the way adults speak to children about growing up. There seem to be a lot of comments about how children should enjoy their freedom while they can, etc. Rather than looking forward to becoming a grown-up, as children typically used to, they now seem to dread it and delay the inevitable acceptance of responsibility as long as possible.
I thought your comment was very astute! I will be addressing the adulting critics in Thursday's video. I hope to see you all there!
Today I would love to know... what do you think of today's popular music? How do you feel about your children singing lyrics from popular songs? What is your favorite genre of music? Who is your favorite composer? Do you play classical music? How and when? Let me know and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog!
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