Homeschooling Chronicles - Music in the Home

Music elevates the soul and inspires the mind. By encouraging musical training, you can help your children enhance their listening abilities, discover patterns, and foster creativity.

At my house, we have incorporated music into our curriculum every year since kindergarten. Initially, my kids were introduced to music through playing the recorder. A year or so later, we started using the piano. After each child finished learning music basics on these two instruments,  they were able to choose another instrument. My oldest chose guitar, while my younger child picked drums.    

My approach was simple. By locating basic instruction books, I was able to teach them the fundamentals of their chosen instrument. Fortunately, I had enough experience from my many years of piano, to be comfortable in the elementary principles of musical education. Each boy began at the front of the instruction book and played up to the newest lesson each time he practiced. While this is a repetitive procedure, I found that it alleviated the frustration of just playing the new piece. It also helped to refine the music learned previously, while improving on the more interpretive elements intended by the composer. 

One thing that I have enjoyed seeing develop in my boys, is their ability to notice when a note is off. Since I stressed writing down every note of a song on sheet music, they are adept at reading music. I have found that this meticulous notation makes playing easier, and it helps children to see the connection between the note's name and the printed note. My boys loved to catch me in an error during our music sessions. They relished their chance to correct “mom”. I would laugh, and together we would correct my mistake.

When my older son started playing in our local homeschool band, his previous music training afforded him the opportunity to quickly move to a different instrument. He chose the trumpet. We sent him to band camp for one week so he could be tutored in the basics of trumpet playing. Since he could read the music, he was able to focus on learning how to correctly blow into the trumpet's mouthpiece. 

I would not attempt to teach trumpet, but my son is learning how to play it. By attending weekly band rehearsals, he has advanced from calling the moose population of North America, to producing quality sounding music. The band has also given him a place to interact socially, as well as, participate in performances. It is our hope that our boys’ love of music will extend well beyond twelfth grade and into their adult years.