The Hidden Art of Homemaking - Music

I am a week behind. I had great intentions of getting my post up last week, but with the kids attending the West Coast Student Convention time didn't allow for it. So without furthur ado here are my thoughts on Chapter 3 about Music.

I have always enjoyed music. I do play the piano and I enjoy singing. I did have years of lesson, but I mostly learned playing a keyboard that set next to the organ at church, which my mom played. She wrote out little chord charts for me and first learned the right hand of the song and after a couple of years started adding my left hand. Of course, I can't read notes hardly at all, but I can pick out chords and play.

 I would love to say that when it comes to playing instruments we have it going for us, but unfortunately we do not. My husband plays the guitar a little bit and Destini is currently taking piano lessons, but that is the extent of it. Thankfully, that hasn't stopped us from enjoying music and incorporating it into out home.

My oldest son, Caleb, is my music lover and listens to the Christian radio quite a bit. He also loves Gospel choir music and likes to get the CD player going in the morning filled with Cd's that have sat around the house for years. One thing about him doing this is that it surround our home in music and we spontaneously sing along with it.

He remind me of myself when I was his age. I loved listening to the radio and choir music. I used to listen to a lot more music that I do now, but for some reason when I started having kids that seemed fall to the wayside I think due to finances. Though I don't mind everything on the radio I do get worn down by it and then I turn to my favorite singing group, Selah.

My two middle children seem to just go with the flow and don't seem to have any favorites, but Delani is my little singer and enjoys listening to music also. She especially enjoys making up her own songs and singing them.

We incorporate music several ways in our house. One way is that we study a classical composer for six weeks and listen to six different music selections. Even though we have been doing this for three or four years I can't say classical music has really taken on here. There have been a few composers we have really enjoyed, Mozart and Tchaikovsky but I think our favorite so far has been Scott Joplin. (Does he count?)

We also try to have a family time of singing a hymn and a folksong or an Americana song. We have learned quite a selection of hymns so far and folk/Americana songs are always fun to learn. We have spent numerous evenings discussing the words to these songs, laughing over them, looking up what they mean, and usually learning an interesting tidbit from history. We usually end our singing time with Sunday School songs which Delani loves to sing.

For some reason our hymn/folksong time is the hardest to keep going and many times we fall off of the wagon, but we always get back on and keep going. I feel learning the hymns are so important for my kids. What parent don't get a fuzzy feeling when their child's favorite song is "Power in the Blood"?

In this chapter I like how Mrs. Schaeffer points out:

For Christians, there is no need for alcohol to release our inhibitions in music-making. The reality of the Holy Spirit should free us to joyous expression in the form of melody and song.
 

Caleb recently attended a competition where he entered the category of Dramatic Signing. He signed the words to the song "When God Ran" by Philips, Craig, and Dean. This is something he really enjoys doing and though not what some may term music I believe it does show that "joyous expression" that Mrs. Schaeffer talks about. (Please excuse the microphone that was in the way.)

Here are some of  my favorite music choices:


 Earlier posts:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2