Music and the Imagination

We purchased a Sirius satellite radio system. We get no radio reception at all where we live so we have been thinking about it for a while. And, since we travel some on the weekends, we wanted to be able to put it in our RV so that we could listen to college football.

I had our radio on the Symphony Hall channel and Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony was playing. It has been a favorite of mine since I was a child so I turned it up. A few minutes later I noticed that my 6 year old had gotten out a ballet book and was trying to copy the pictures with her own movements.

I watched her for a few minutes. In her imagination, she was absolutely a prima ballerina on a stage giving the performance of her life.

It struck me how closely linked music and the imagination are. I think we miss this these days. I don't think many people expose their kids to classical music anymore. And most kids have never even heard of Bugs Bunny (that's where I learned about classical music).

So, if you are a parent, try a little on for size. There are great kid-friendly recordings out there. Try a little Carnival of the Animals or Peter and the Wolf. You might be surprised at what it sparks in your children.