Photo credit: Greg Gamble
Happy Fourth of July! I hope you’re having a wonderful day with your family — relaxing at the beach, having a barbeque, watching fireworks, etc. Today is a very special fourth for me, as tomorrow I’ll be getting married! Yay! I’m so excited. I’ve been planning and planning for months, and the big day is finally here. I can’t believe it. Now onto today’s topic….
As you know, it’s my personal mission to share my love of music with as many people as possible. I want our students to gain a lifelong love and appreciation of music and the arts. My teachers and I teach very positive, encouraging lessons, letting our students play the music they most love. Our recitals are fun, low key celebrations of music for our students and their families. While we do as much as we can to foster that lifelong love of music I described, it’s also important that parents take some steps to help their children achieve this goal. Here’s what I suggest:
- Attend concerts
We are so fortunate in the DC area to be surrounded by the arts in a way that others are not. Take advantage of this. The Kennedy Center and Strathmore are fantastic venues to visit for performances. The Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center is even free! At Strathmore, kids come to concerts for free with the purchase of an adult ticket. It really doesn’t matter what type of music is being performed. Just get tickets and go with your kids. Looking for more concerts? Check out this link for more ideas.
- Go to museums
Whether you want to see art, airplanes, or animals at the zoo, the Smithsonian Institute has everything. With 18 museums that are free and open to the public, you’ll never get bored as you learn the history of many of our national treasures. People travel from all over the world just to come see these wonderful museums.
- See a play or a ballet
Again, our area is filled with so many wonderful cultural opportunities. Seeing a play or a ballet with your kids is a great way for you to spend quality time with them while also exposing them to the performing arts.
- Listen to music at home and/ or in the car
While I think that listening to live music is always the best, going to concerts all the time may not be practical with our busy schedules. Turn on the radio or a CD while you’re just hanging out at home or driving to soccer practice. Expose your kids to classical music, which really is an acquired taste. I notice that my students who have been exposed to classical music get excited to learn a classical piece, while the ones who haven’t want to stick with pop music. I enjoy teaching my students the styles of music they most enjoy, but I believe that it’s important to experience all different types of music — including classical.
- Take a class
Sign your children up for a dance, art, or music class or summer camp. I did this when I was a kid, and it was a lot of fun! It’s great to balance athletics with the arts. Surprisingly enough, someone asked me just the other day what I had wanted to be when I grew up back when I was a kid. My answer was a teacher and an artist. It blows my mind that this is what I get to do everyday. You never know when you expose your kids to various activities what will really stick and may become a lifelong passion for them.
Lastly, I always recommend staying involved in your children’s music lessons. In my experience, students whose parents take an active role — encourage practicing, get excited as they conquer difficult pieces and perform in recitals, etc. — do much much better in their lessons with us. It’s never too late to get more involved with your children’s music lessons and to nurture their love of music and the arts!
Now I want to hear from you. How do you foster a love of music and the arts with your children? What concerts and cultural events are your favorites for kids? Leave a comment below. Thanks so much for reading! Please subscribe to the newsletter and “like us” on Facebook. Have an incredible day!
Sincerely,
Cassie
PS- As I’ll be out for my wedding and honeymoon, I’ll be taking a 2 week hiatus from posting blogs. Catch you in a couple of weeks when I’m a “Mrs.” 🙂
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