Guiding kids to discover music?

You might want to encourage speaker listening and not earphones, as she is so young.

You bet!!!  The Apple earphones are still in the case and deep in my locker.  No way she is going to use it.  ...At least for a few years   :-)

We just have music on, of all sorts! Opera, pop, folk, world and disney and everything inbetween. My 5 year old will listen to Kate Bush, a current favourite, Dolly Parton, Aleisha Dixon, salsa as well as princess songs.

My 27yr old has been through the above, kylie, the Manics and returns to Mr Cash and Mr Dylan by way of Lady Gaga. She has just raided my Hank Williams stuff! My 24yr old is now into indi guitar stuff and folk and really likes my old soul and Stax stuff. Her latest finds on my shelves are Mr Jansch and Sonny Boy Williamson. She did have a dangersous period where 1990's R&B was being listened too but she got over it!

In my view nothing should be off limits, even crappy Xfactor pop. but if you push it they will turn their noses up at it. Oh and remember its a right of passage  that children should like music you don't........................at least until they learn the error of their ways! It was a bit of a standing joke at the older twos school that whatever they were listening to in a music class etc, was bound to be in Dad's collection somewhere.

My older two have also introduced me to some great music. Fortunately I am left with my Jethro Tull and ELP undisturbed tho.

Great topic - I recently let my 4 year old randomly pick out records. She loves the pictures (as do I!) and picked out Bjork's Biophilia because of the artwork and still asks to listen to the "lady with the red wig". This also helped me talk about being careful with them.

So, in my experience - you're right on. Give them a good selection, let them choose for themselves and be sure its something you do to together. I wouldn't really call it "listening" as I think you need to do sing or dance along to it, she gets board after half a song if we just listen. We love dancing around to radiohead and the nutcracker.  She can pick out her own kids CDs and play them on the second system. I was shocked the first time she did it herself, but that's what an old CD player is for I guess. good idea with the nano

Reflecting back - I got into music because my dad loved listening to jazz so much and I really looked forward to him getting home from work and playing music together. Was obviously something he loved, so I did too.  I'm now a bit mad at my 10 year old self for scratching up all his original Miles Davis LPs, but they served a larger purpose.

lol,  I'm sure Miles wouldn't mind if it did serve to pass music love to the next generation  ;-)

Good point about the activity with the music.  Still, even if it's half a song, I would like to try to bring her to listen to the music and explore, then if it's enough, let's get party for the second half!  :-)

Thank for the point.

When my daughter was at school around the age of 10 the teacher ran a regular alphabet of music. Bring in a song by a group/artist starting at A and so on - points were awarded to those students who brought something in that was unique i.e. for a most brought in Abba, my daughter brought in Air - I couldn't wait for the next one (some days I had to issue teacher guidance i.e. for gods sake don't play tracks ...). The upshot was that my daughter developed a really good appreciation for music and at aged 10 liked the Doors, Free and Hendrix, boy was I a proud Dad.

Tim

Basically just play lots of different music yourself, don't try and force it down their throat, and try not to get too annoyed when they talk over it - at least until they're >10.   That's what I did. 

Oh ... and don't criticise what they seem to like, even if you think it's rubbish.

What Dung said! 

We used to just play a variety of music that we enjoyed listening to in background, so ensuring that our son was always exposed to some form of music. One day (he must have been about 6) when a CD of the Scissor Sisters was playing he went up to the player and started pressing buttons, when asked why he said he wanted to listen to a track again so I showed him how to use do so and was subsequently rewarded with six consecutive playbacks of "Take your Mama". Since those days he has acquired a wide music taste and will even quote composers of music scores he likes and hears within his playstation games (eg Jasper Kyd). He is 12 now. The point I'm labouring is that as long as kids have exposure to different music they will respond positively sooner or later. Don't worry and do not force.

My proudest moment was about 3 years ago when he asked for a certain song that he had heard on the car radio a few days beforehand. After much discussion and trial and error we found it - "My Way" by the Sex Pistols. Yes! That's my boy!

My kids love nothing better than boring pop music, strained thru an iPod. Furthermore, they don't or won't acknowledge the difference between that and high quality reproduction of sound. That's okay--that's one less expensive habit they'll acquire. (Thanks for nothing, Steve Jobs!) But I like to think I've planted a seed as far as musical diversity goes, and they will know where to come looking if they ever get around to it.

My wife and I do not have children, but speaking as a former child, I can say that I very much ploughed my own furrow music wise. Neither of my parents were particularly interested in music so I didn't receive any influence or guidance from them.

My interest started from watching films/TV. I began to notice the music, not just the Main Title themes but the underscore. I became fascinated and entranced by how lovely much of this music was. In those days very many film/TV scores never got a commercial release on LP, so this was quite frustrating. My interest in film and TV scores has persisted to this day - around 40 years later! Thankfully there are now many specialist labels that deal exclusively with releasing film/TV music and many scores from the 70's are now getting a commercial release for the first time.

My tastes grew to encompass other types of music and I'm now a fan of jazz as well.

I think, as with many things, children will find their own likes/dislikes through experience. If there's one sure way to put a child off something it's to try to "push" it at them.

Peter

I don't care what our kids listen to. Or what "system" they listen to it on. Their choice, their problem. Pick your battles.

Exactly.  Let them make their own decisions.

If you did that, from my point of view, you did a lot!!!  :-)

Fully agree!  To me it's just about showing some of the different path they can choose from, after that, it's up to them.

I do respect your opinion, it's sure good or better then mine.  Personally I do care because 1- it's fun to talk about music 2- I'm sure they will be the first one to make me discover new stuff.  "Battles" ???

Definitely not the context I had in mind when starting this post...

As mention, I fully agree with you!  It's just about showing possible path.

Don't get me wrong. They hear what I (and their mum) listen to. We do discuss music. I try to explain why a particular musician or band is good, or well regarded. But I'm not bothered by whether they like anything particular, or not. Entirely up to them.