November 5, 2010 10:21 PM
3 year old conducts Beethoven's 5th
Martha sent me this and I love it!
3 year old Jonathan conducting to the 4th movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony
He plays violin too:
3 year old Jonathan playing "Allegro"
I haven't said it recently, but I want to urge every parent to bathe your children in classical music from the earliest ages. Enriching your family life with the arts builds bonds you will see when your children get older and share these great works that have withstood the test of time.
Filling them with good things when they're young means there won't be a vacuum when they're in their teens that they'll fill with trashy music.
And the theory goes that exposure to classical music in the early years leads to better performance in math in later years as there is a connection between the two.
I've also reminded you a few times that soothing classical music - not Beethoven's Fifth, but others such as harp concertos - will have a calming effect on your home.
Believe me, even if you weren't brought up with the classics, you will find a lot to love about them as an adult. That's what happened to me. I grew up in a home without any cultural advantages but decided in my 20s I wanted to find out what they were all about so I could share them with my first daughter, Samantha Sunshine.
And even if you're not that interested, you never know what individual talents God has built into each of your children. I took my son Ben to see The Magic Flute when he was 8 years old because I noticed his love of music. Who knew that one day he would be an aspiring opera singer?
If you don't know classical music, Beethoven's 5th Symphony
Posted in Montessori, Mothering, Music | Permalink
Comments
I love it too! I love how his mom was laughing with him and he was obviously having such a good time. Looks like a wonderful home to grow up in. And his little sister with her practice violen was so cute too!
Posted by: MamaHen | November 6, 2010 6:35 AM
He has obviously seen many conductors...so cute
Posted by: priest's wife | November 6, 2010 4:30 PM
Amen, amen, amen to your words about the importance of music! My parents wisely enrolled me in piano, and I sang in church choirs from a young age. By the time I could start making my own decisions, I chose to play the clarinet, which gave me four super-fun years in a wonderful marching band in high school. That experience was not only good exercise, it was good for my self-esteem and provided a set of quality friends who also had the discipline and loyalty to practice music and represent our school. With all that under my belt, I continued my exploration of music in college (although I didn't major in it) by taking a jazz elective and singing in choirs.
A lifetime of benefits!
Of course my dad also played "In a Gadda Da Vida" over and over in the early 70s so I got THAT music education too. :)
Love that name Samantha Sunshine! Makes me smile! So reflective of the hippy age yet a really good name too.
Posted by: Lulu | November 6, 2010 7:31 PM
