For the most part, we just make music a casual part of how we live. He has had the benefit of playing with his toys while string quartets rehearse in our living room and he goes to Kindermusik class every week. Even with all of that, most of his musical education at home is very casual at this age.

We sing the Barney clean up song when picking up around the house. We also have lots of musical instruments (real ones and quality toys) all around for him to experiment on. 

Today, a friend came over and the boys had a sword fight with our boomwhackers. These are plastic tubes that are tuned to different pitches. They didn’t realize they were playing an interval of a major 2nd when they hit them together, but I believe these small experiences have helped my son grow musically. 

One thing I do is tap the rhythm on his back when we hear music, even from TV.  Sometimes I will tap the rhythm of the song and sometimes I’ll tap the underlying beat.  It really internalizes the beat for him and will hopefully develop a more natural sense of timing. I struggled with keeping time in my younger years, so I want to make sure he has a solid foundation.

Most of the music making is impromtu, but we do have one regular routine at bed time. We will all pile into bed for family devotion time. We start singing Gloria Patri followed by a Bible story. After that we say our prayers and end with the doxology. He almost always falls asleep after the Doxology.  It’s a great routine for us and it teaches him music of the church. At some point we will add other music from the liturgy. 

If you don’t have kids, you can still incorporate things for yourself.  Try to tap out the beat and the rhythm while you are listening to music.

Keep your instruments in plain sight. You are more likely to sit down and do something with them if they are easily accessible.

If there is a song at your place of worship that you are stuggling with, bring it home and learn it a little at a time. Sing it as you do things around the house. Maybe even memorize it.

There are lots of things you can do to make music part of your daily life. Just remember it is about growth and experience. Little things do mean a lot when it comes to music.

Deborah