What's New

Free E-zine

Curriculum

Planning

Literature Based

Music for Life

Do you need a way to naturally integrate music into your homeschool? My music for life article will help you!

The listening to and enjoying of music should be part of all our homes. Our challenge in this day is to make sure that the music our children hear is uplifting and of a high moral value.

Music appreciation should never been seen as a subject in ones curriculum but as something that pervades all forms of home and learning life. Music should surround a child from its earliest memories and should begin to take a bigger role in a child's life as he grows.

Charlotte Mason saw the function of music appreciation in two different ways. The first was to just listen and appreciate the music and learn a little, all that was necessary, for the child to appreciate the music and the composer.

The other part of music appreciation is to do with learning to play music. These two sections do not have to be reliant on one another and in fact she would choose to rather have the child listen to the music before learning an instrument.

To begin, allow music from the Baroque period (Bach, Vivaldi, Handel) to be played to your children at chore time, quiet time or dinnertime. Other narrative pieces such as “Peter and the Wolf” can be used in dramatic play times.

The Classical Kids collection that I reviewed for you can be used instead of a bedtime story or while little ones nap to keep the older children quiet. It is advisable to choose one composer for a term and thoroughly listen to his works and then move to the next.

It is important to ease your children into this if it is new to them and they are used to other forms of more popular music. I also firmly believe that there are a wealth of musicians, Christian and secular, who can enrich our children's knowledge of rhythm, tempo and instrument choices.

We should not allow ourselves to get so idealistic as to prevent other forms than classical music to be heard by your children but as with everything be open to the Holy Spirit as you discern what it is your children are exposed to.

Naturally integrating music into your life and home is simple.

Listen to CD’s and tapes while you eat.

Let the children, as they grow, have their own CD player and collection of approved CD’s to listen to.

Use tapes or CD’s in your car when you travel to activities or on errands.

Watch for shows at the theatres – this past we have attended Swan Lake, The Magic Flute and Joseph.

I cook with music in the evenings – my children dance around the kitchen!

Our children have enjoyed music through self initiated dance and shows, they have read about composers when they would like to know more –whom they enter onto their timelines. But as soon as we make it another subject it adds to the “things to do” that we have and can become a chore to a child.

Let music happen naturally in your home, and begin with yourself. Find some composers, classic and modern, that you enjoy listening too and I guarantee you, your children will all follow from there.You will then find that music become a great part of your home life.