Music for Children

My toddler son amazes me with how interested he is in all types of music. Neither my husband nor I play an instrument, but we play various records and CDs in the home and in the car. Our son hears everything from Raffi and Mozart to Jimi Hendrix and Santana. We are careful that the choices we make are age-appropriate. We are more interested in the music than the lyrics. Our son will sit and listen intently to guitar solos and violin concertos. We’re saving AC/DC for later.

We began playing classical music to him when he was still in utero. I don’t know if the studies are correct that show a correlation between music in the womb and a child’s intelligence. It couldn’t hurt, we figured, to play good music when we knew he could hear it. I do feel that our playing such music then helped him appreciate it now.

I remember when he was first brought into our hospital room after his birth. Even though he was just a few hours old, my husband played a gentle jazz CD as we cuddled him. Now I make sure that music is a part of our daily life.

We find music shows on TV. PBS has a series called “From the Top–Carnegie Hall.” Here, young musicians are interviewed in a fun way and then perform on stage. Our son sits there mesmerized–but only for a few of the performances. He has his favorites. Netflix is another awesome and inexpensive way to find quality DVDs of music for children. Don’t forget the public library!

I look forward to taking our son to high school musical performances. I know he will enjoy seeing and hearing the instruments. I wonder what instrument, if any, he’ll choose to play when he gets a little older! Where do you find music here in Katy? What songs do you like to play for your children? I’d love to hear from you.