đśThereâs just something about classical music
Last year, I set out to introduce my children to classical music.
My goal was simple â have children who listen to and appreciate classical music. I wasnât shooting for them to become experts⌠naming the composers or sonata numbers. I just wanted them to be able to enjoy this beautiful style of music. Thatâs itâŚ
What happened next, went beyond my wildest dreams.
I started simple - playing classical music while we did school.
Because Iâm a fan of historical context, I started in the 15th century with Guillaume Dufay then onto the 16th with Thomas Tallis - we listened to Tallis for a long while incredible, just incredible. We meandered through the 17th and 18th centuries with Vivaldi, Bach, and of course Mozart and Beethoven. But we didnât stop, we continued onto the 19th with Schubert, Chopin, Liszet, Wagner⌠and so many, many more (full list to come). Currently, we are in the mid-20th century and still discovering new favorites - just today â Ralph Vaughan Williams.
I expected my kids to learn better - because the studies show that - but I didnât expect them to fall in love.
I didnât expect them to start requesting Scarlatti and Handel as we were driving in the car. I didnât expect them to start recognizing artists on the radio. I didnât expect them to start randomly singing Beethoven. I didnât expect them to beg to learn to play the piano, not to learn pop songs but classical songs.
The most shocking moment for me came while listening to Franz Liszt while teaching them math. I wish I had this on tapeâŚ.
8yo: Mama, I think this is Beethoven
Me: No, itâs Liszt
10yo: Mama, I really think itâs Beethoven
Me (after looking it up): Ok, youâre right! Apparently Liszt transcribed Beethovenâs symphonies into piano pieces.
My kids are becoming classical experts - through a simple, easy daily practice - and one anyone can do it!
You donât need any fancy training to help your kids fall in love with classical music.
Music is special - it seeps into your brain even when you arenât focused on it. Thatâs how I learned to appreciate country music.
I went to college in Nashville, Tennessee, known as the country music capital. I went to Nashville knowing almost no country music. I didnât care for it, and I went to high school in the Midwest, so I was rarely exposed to it. But Iâll never forget coming home from college; my Dad put on a country music radio station, and somehow I knew all the words to every song. When did THAT happen?
For nine months, country music was the soundtrack of my life â it played at the mall, at parties, in the dorms, in the grocery store. Country music had been playing in the background nearly everywhere, and it seeped in.
Music holds a special place in your brain. One rarely sets out to learn lyrics of songs - but somehow they there on the tip of your tongue. And lyrics donât disappear. A song you havenât heard in 20 years comes on the radio, and you sing it like you just learned it yesterday.
Curating a lifelong love of classical music in your children is far simpler than you think.
Just start playing itđś
Want the full roadmap I used?
Below, Iâve got everything you need to make this happen in your own home â no guesswork, just the simple steps that turned my kids into classical music lovers.
The full historical list of classic artists (in order, from 1390-1988)
My tips for introducing classical music to kids
My favorite free channel for classical music
Your kids could be humming Handel on the way to soccer practice. Join us?