Growing up my sister and I were exposed to a variety of music ranging from classical to Southern Gospel. Charlie has been exposed to a variety of music styles as well. Dad was quite insistent on having Charlie exposed to classical music at an early age. Three years ago Dad and I took Charlie and Myles to see Bugs Bunny at the Symphony. The boys loved it! Granted it was mainly due to the Looney Tunes cartoons showing while the Houston Symphony played the background music but still it was a lot of fun.
credit: ClipartPanda.com
Last year I bought a 4 pack of Houston Symphony tickets for Dad, Charlie, and me, including the Very Merry Pops and Hollywood Blockbuster nights. Overall Charlie enjoyed the concerts. It was nice to dress up and use our nicest manners too. I firmly believe it is never to early to introduce kids to upscale social settings and how to behave on those occasions.
I subscribed again for the 2015-16 year. I picked concerts that I thought Charlie would enjoy more than “just plain classical” music. Taina, Charlie’s friend, wanted to go as well so her parents bought her tickets. Our next concert is Saturday, Halloween, and is “Ghostbusters & Ghouls“. It’s full of spooky Halloween music and a costume parade!
Some of the other concerts include A Very Merry Pops, A Tribute to John Williams (movie music), and Benny Goodman. I am looking forward to each concert and hopefully Charlie and Taina are too. I hope consistent exposure to classical music will encourage Charlie to expand his musical horizons. I want Charlie to have a solid foundation in music. The symphony is just one part of that.
I firmly believe that kids should be exposed to classical music at an early age. Not just when babies or toddlers, a la Baby Einstein, but as they grow up and all the way through life. Not just classical music but other types as well including jazz, gospel, blue grass, and even ethnic music. Kids need exposure to a wide variety of fine arts to be well rounded adults. This doesn’t have to be expensive. Many cities have free concerts for the public. Houston’s Miller Outdoor Theater is a great place to see plays, musicals, and other musical events. Your public library has CDs you can check out along with movies. Some movie theaters such as AMC offer screenings of The Metropolitan Opera live.
Take a chance! Expand your horizons and you might discover that your child and you might like it!
Do you attend fine arts events? Do you take your kids?
