My class in music appreciation came from my parents. Our home was full of a variety of music: classical – Mario Lanza filled the living room with Be My Love or Andy Williams reminded us that This Land is Mine as we washed dishes or prepared for bed. Not only were the hills alive with the Sound of Music, but so was our home. Louis Armstrong’s lyrics filled our kitchen with What a Wonderful World or music from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, You’ll Never Walk Alone.
At Christmas time through the years, in our modest home on the south side of Chicago, my parents would install Christmas lights and speakers and blast music on the block – White Christmas, Let it Snow!, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, or Joy to the World. As I reflect back, I wonder if all the neighbors might not have appreciated the gift of music my parents offered to the neighborhood.
But music was the backdrop to our lives as we were introduced to a diverse group of artists including Mahalia Jackson and Nat King Cole. As a teen, I joined the girls’ chorus in high school. Although my enjoyment of music didn’t become a career, I’ve dabbled in singing and piano lessons, even enrolling myself in the American Conservatory of Music. But after two singing lessons and the laughter of my siblings, I unenrolled and limited my singing career to the confines of the shower.
Music filled our homes, souls, and bones, and the thirst, passion, and appreciation for music was a torch passed through the generations. My youngest son Donnavan loves music: playing it, creating it, and celebrating it. He often acts as the music director for his church in California and even created a music T-shirt business. His son, my grandson Journey, sings, dances, and is a part of the performing group at his high school.
Although I am an advocate for helping children discover the gifts of reading, I also think about the impact music has on a family’s life.
Music changes the atmosphere. Music gives us lessons, especially when we tune into the lyrics. What’s a movie without music? When my aunt produced a full-length movie as a fictional account of her life story called “Love Your Momma,” she wrote and sang the songs, which has become part of her legacy.
Here are some ways that music helps us:
- Music improves our language and vocabulary skills.
- Music makes children more socially aware.
- Music inspires creativity and imagination.
- Music builds a child’s listening skills.
- Music strengthens memory through songs and lyrics.
- Music provides enjoyment and pleasure.
- Music can be used as tool of healing and emotional support.
What’s part of your home music repertoire? What’s on your playlist?
Lucille is the author of several books, including Jobless: Loving What You Do.
