CHM174. Why Music Belongs in Your Homeschool (Even If You’re Not Musical)

Hi, friends, and welcome back to the Christian homeschool Mom's podcast. I'm so glad you're here today, And if you're new to the show, I'm Demetria, a veteran homeschool mom, and I've been walking this journey of faith and homeschooling for quite a few years now. In fact, I wrapped up my final year of homeschooling last year and am currently walking my youngest daughter through her senior year in school, where she's decided to continue her education at a local school. So it's been over seventeen years of homeschooling and I love helping homeschool moms by encouraging you to keep at it if this is what God is calling you to do. And one of the things that's always been near and dear to my heart, both in my own personal life and in my homeschool is music. Now, before you start to feel intimidated, don't worry. Today's conversation isn't about making you feel like you have to be a music teacher or add one more should onto your already full homeschool plate. So I'm not here to preach or a pile line. Instead, I just want to share some of the beautiful ways that music can benefit our kids, and some practical tips for helping you weave it into your homeschool, whether or not you're a musician, or whether or not you have the budget for formal lessons. Right now, I'll also share a little bit about the lessons that I offer through my program at Read and Rhythm, which you can find at Reading Rhythm dot com. Also, this will be linked from Christian homeschool moms dot com, so either way you'll find it, and I'll also have the link in the show notes for you. But if you're curious about private virtual beginner piano lessons for kids, that's where you can find all the details. But more than anything, I want today's episode to feel like a friendly chat between us, just like we're sitting across the table with coffee in hand or tea, swapping stories and encouragement about how music can make our homeschool days just a little richer. And before we get started into about the why of music in homeschooling, I just want to briefly say welcome back to this fall season of school. For those of you who don't homeschool year round, and this is actually your first month of school welcome back to school, and we are full fledged as family back in school our last full year of school. It's my youngest daughter senior year of high school, and so we are back in full school mode and it's exciting and it's also going to be an adventure. This year is going to be a huge adventure for us as we start to get ready to help our daughter fly the nest and move on to her next stage of life next year and then we will be empty nesters. And I can't believe it, but that's where we're headed. So this year, I'm determined to make the most of it, to enjoy this year, to pour as much of myself into my community, but mostly into my family, my daughter and helping her get through her senior year, encouraging her and being there with her as she treks through twelfth grade. Also, I just want to say that this has been a fun summer of interviews and I hope you've enjoyed them. Please leave me feedback over on Instagram. You can find my account there at Christian Homeschool Moms and let me know what you thought about the interviews. This summer, I've had a great time chatting with everyone that has been on the show, and we have several more interviews to come. So our last interview with Leslie Martino was so encouraging and rich as she talked about the joy of slow schooling. And before that, we talked with Gracie Ramirez, who is an author of bilingual books for kids. She's a mom, she's a minister, and we actually go to church together, so I really love talking with her. And then before that, I talked with Dim Whittaker, who is also author. Not only that, but she's the founder of a publishing company, and so we talked about fostering safe spaces for black and brown homeschoolers, and so that was a great episode. Loved talking with her. And then we talked with Nellie Harden on episode one seventy and talked with Ashton Tate on one sixty nine. It's been a great go of interviews in these past couple of months, and I can't wait to bring you more. I have quite a few more lined up for the remainder of the year. I thought I would pop in this week and just kind of play catch up and share my heart with you guys in between offering interviews, because I'm really passionate about music, And so let's get into this conversation about music and homeschooling, or even if you don't homeschool, music and your kids and their education and why it matters. So we're gonna start with the why, and if you can't n till already, I'm super passionate about music, as I am about so many things in life right now, But music is something that I've always enjoyed. Just a little bit about me and my background. I love playing piano, I love worship, and I love writing my own music. So as a songwriter, this is something that I find is so much a part of who I am. And to be able to express my thoughts, my ideas, and my feelings through music is a beautiful gift that I'm so grateful that God has allowed me to nurture over the years. And I started playing piano when I was about nine years old. My parents bought me a piano. They took me to my first lessons after I turned nine, about the second week after my ninth birthday, and I was immediately thrown into John Thompson's If any of you have taken piano and you remember John Thompson's that was my very first music book that I learned from it was the second grade book, and then from there I went on to get through as many books as I could. Because I was a competitive child, I always wanted to keep my bar really high academically and especially in music because this was my new thing. And so I grew with music and loved my lessons, couldn't wait to go to lessons every single week. What really was so fun for me and kept me motivated was knowing that I actually could play pieces for my mom and dad, and that somewhere around Christmas time, I was able to play Christmas music. And it just meant the world to me that I could actually play songs that sounded like music, like real music right, not just learning how to play the skills or learning the basics. And once I got past the basics, I was so ready to just jump immediately into playing songs that I could sing along with or that my parents could sing along with with me. So I loved playing the piano, and I loved especially when my dad started to nurture me to play at church. So I'm a preacher's kid, I'm a PK, and he was asked to preach on suff Sundays at our local church way back in the day. And here I am at nine, ten years old and being kind of prodded a little bit, maybe pushed, but in a really positive way to accompany my dad when it was his turn to preach, and he wanted me to get accustomed to playing the piano in front of the congregation. And the church that I went to was very very supportive of children, very supportive of us in our gifts and talents, very nurturing, and so they would always give me loads of encouragement, as they did all the kids at our church, and so each of us felt really special, and we felt like whatever we set our minds to do, we could do it. And the church made room for us. So they gave us positions in the church. They allowed us to express ourselves and the drums and the keys and the guitar and whatever we felt like we were learning to do and wanted to do, our church gave us the permission and the freedom to express that. So, as you can imagine, music has always been a positive part of my life. I never had a negative experience with it, which I think is saying a lot for my instructors, for my parents, for my church, for my family and community and their supportiveness over the years. I continue taking lessons until I was about fifteen, and then life got really busy with high school, and so then I just was no longer interested in playing only classical and from my gospel hymnals that I always took to lessons with me. I wanted to express myself in different ways, so that's when my songwriting really started to come together. I would listen to samples of R and B and jazz riffs and things like that, and different samples from the types of music that I really loved back in the nineties, and then I would think about how that would sound on the piano, and so that's one of the ways I practiced playing my ear. Also, I would play in church. Again, of all the churches we've gone to, I've had an opportunity at least in three different churches to play keys and to learn to play an instrument that I hadn't picked up before. The organ was one of those, and that was tricky, but it's something that my church needed. It was a really small church when we moved from California to the Deep South, and they needed an organist, and I was there and I could play keys, so they said, well, let's have you practice on this organ, you know, just hop on it and see if you can keep up with the congregational songs. And so that's how I learned to play the organ. I just jumped in there and made a lot of mistakes, but figured it out and again had a very supportive community. So fast forward to my early twenties, you know, pre marriage, and then marriage and family, and here I am today, all these years. After that strong foundation of music and church and learning the classicals, I really segued into this desire to expres myself through Neil soul, gospel and R and B. And so that is kind of where I've been camping out for the last couple of decades and just creating music with that sort of style and flavor and really really loving every minute of it. And so that's my story. I share that with you just so you can know a little bit about why I'm personally passionate about music. And everybody has a different music story. Maybe I'll have some guests on that can share about their background and why they love music so much, but this is my story, and so I just want to share, like the why of music and why it matters I think in homeschooling. And I'm going to start with that why and just ask this question and have you think about it for a moment. But why should we even think about integrating music into our homeschool? That is the question. Because some might say it's not important, or it's an extracurricular, or it's just it's just something we can add. Maybe maybe not, and it's not that important. For me. The answer is simple. I believe that music changes us, it grows us, and it teaches our kids things that math and reading don't teach. On the academic side, music gives our kids a brain boost. Studies have shown that children who study music often perform better in math and reading because music is all about patterns, it's about problem solving and memory. It's like cross training for the brain. When your child learns a rhythm pattern or a simple skill, they're also strengthening skills that transfer into other subjects. On the emotional side, music gives our kids a way to express themselves. So you notice I keep saying the phrase over and over again, expressed myself, right. I love to express myself growing up and even now as an adult with music and through music. So sometimes our kids can't quite put into words how they're feeling, but they can sing it or they can play it. Even something as simple as pounding out a rhythm on a drum or strumming a ukulele can release frustration, it can spark joy or bring peace to their hearts. And as for us as believers, there's also a spiritual side to this too. So music has always been one of the most powerful ways to connect with God, from the psalms of David to the worship songs we sing today, music has been the language of prayer, joy and praise and even lament. Giving our kids tools to express themselves musically is also giving them another avenue to connect with the Lord. And then, of course there's the family connection, like music can knit us together as a family. And whether you're singing around that dinner table, or having a dance break in the living room in between lessons, or listening to hymns during morning time, music really creates those memories for you. Some of my fondest moments in homeschooling my girls were at the piano or singing with one another, my husband on the guitar. One of my kids on the piano and just singing in harmony is just a part of what we do as a family, and I love that aspect of our lives together, especially during the holidays. One of my daughters took those lessons to heart. Both of them actually really enjoy playing. But one of them has actually measured in music in college and today she's teaching voice lessons and has even released her first single. And so watching her blossom as a musician. Even my youngest daughter, who has been writing her own musicals and sings on the worship team at church and her youth group, watching them both blossom as musicians and remembering how it all started with those little piano lessons at home and singing together as a family. That has been such a gift to me and to all of us. So now maybe you're thinking, Okay, Demitria, that sounds wonderful, that's all great and everything, But I can't read a note of music. I can't sing on pitch to save my life. How in the world can I add music into my homeschool. So here's the good news. You don't have to be a musician to give your kids the gift of music. There are so many simple, approachable ways to bring it into your home, So I'm going to share a few of those, and the first is that you should probably start thinking about daily music moments. Something as easy as playing classical music or jazz or worship in the background while your kids work can create this musical atmosphere in your home, and you might be surprised how much it actually calms the atmosphere, it helps the focus and even sparks curiosity. This is something that I did even though I wasn't a music teacher per se in the schools that I've taught at recently, and I mentioned probably many many episodes back that I've been spending a good bit of time teaching in schools over the past five years, off and on, and so one of the private schools I taught at, I didn't have an opportunity to be a music teacher there, but as a classroom teacher, I've still found it to be really important to play music because it helped my students to calm down, it helped them to focus, and it really changed the atmosphere of that class. So if the kids were a little antsy, if they were frustrated and their nerves were just all over the place. I would play that music and it would really bring a calm to the class, and they could focus, and I could literally hear the brain cells just working and just the deep thoughts they were in as they worked on their creative writing pieces or whatever worksheets they were working on at the moment. The music really helped. So it helped in a group class. And this is something I learned from being a homeschool mom, knowing that it helped my kids in the one on one mentoring, tutoring teaching situation. It helped with my own homeschool, so I knew that bringing that into the classroom could be super helpful. The second thing you can do even if you don't think you can, but listen, this is great for you. Sing together. Okay, don't overthink it. You don't have to sound like a choir, but just sing. Sing Bible versus you're memorizing, Sing silly camp songs, sing hymns or praise choruses. Kids don't care if you're good, quote unquote at singing. They just need the example of seeing you engage very joyfully, very happily, even if it doesn't sound the way you want it to. Write so again, don't overthink this. We're not directing a choir, and nobody has to harmonize. We don't have to have alto, tenor and soprano. We're just singing together for the fun of it, right, And the more you sing together, the more you practice opening up your space for music in your home, you'll see how it will start to latch on with your kids and they'll start to gravitate toward it more easily and adapt to it as though it's a part of them, right, because it's something they do all the time, it's second nature. Thirdly, let your kids explore music instruments, even the inexpensive ones or a recorder or set of bongos can go a long way. Give them space to tinker and create. And sometimes just that noise that you hear is actually the beginning of creativity and musical curiosity. So it might be a little noisy, but it's also the beginning of something that is an investment in their future, something that may turn into something later on. You never know. If God has given them a gift, then ten, fifteen, twenty years down the road, Wow, what amazing things can come of your giving them that space in your home to try these things. Fourth, try music appreciation. Pick a composer of the month, or even a worship artist that you love, or any artist, to be honest, someone that you enjoy listening to. I don't want to give boundaries or restrictions on what type of music it is. It doesn't have to be worship all the time. It doesn't have to be classical music. You pick a genre and just pick a composer or a music artist at the month, learn a little bit about their story, listen to some of their music together, and talk about what you hear. Again, this doesn't have to be formal. You don't have to purchase expensive music appreciation lessons. You could find quite a few of these on Teachers pay teachers, and you can also find great homeschool curriculum and resources. I follow a lot of Instagram accounts that offer this type of thing, so resources abound. But again, you don't have to make it a formal thing. Just make it a part of your normal conversation and use what you have, use what you already love listening to. Let that become part of your music appreciation for your kids. And now, what if music lessons just aren't in the budget. This year. Okay, what if you didn't set aside money for these extra lessons which could cost a lot of money. At the end of the day, they can and so all of that's okay. You know, there are creative ways to make this work. YouTube again, we have lots of resources out there and YouTube is full of beginner tutorials piano lessons of bound on YouTube. Some churches in homeschool co ops offer group music classes at are lower cost. You might even consider trading skills with another parent. Maybe you help with math or reading and they help your child with guitar or piano. Right. So the bottom line is that you don't have to do it all or do it all perfectly. You just need a few small, intentional choices that can make music a natural part of your homeschool rhythm. Now, having said all that, there is something really special about giving your child the opportunity for formal lessons. When you're able to, lessons bring structure and accountability and consistent growth that's hard to get any other way. As a teacher, I've seen firsthand how kids gain confidence through lessons. When they master even a simple little song, they light up. And piano especially is a wonderful starter instrument because it helps kids understand melody, harmony, and rhythm all at once. It's kind that gateway instrument to so much else in music. So if you've been considering lessons, I'd love to come alongside your family. I do offer private virtual beginner piano lessons for kids through my program Read and Rhythm. These are one on one, customized for your child, and we meet online so you don't even have to leave your home. You can find all the details at reading rhythm dot com. I'll leave a link in the show notes and just know that there are probably going to be more programs like this available in the near future. I foresee some fun lessons, courses, workshops and that kind of thing happening on the horizon, and as they happen, they will be announced here on the podcast. But here's what I really want to say to you, Mama. Don't feel pressure, okay, don't feel like you have to do it all right now. Music doesn't have to be one more subject you check off a list. It can just be the joy piece in your homeschool. Even five minutes of music a day makes a huge difference. Singing a song during morning time, playing an instrumental track while you clean and your child's doodle around on a keyboard or strom a ukulele. These little moments do add up. And if you're feeling overwhelmed, remember it's not about perfection. It's about presence, it's about connection. Some of the richest moments I had homeschooling were not about textbooks or finished assignments. They were about the times we laughed our way through learning a song, or paused math lessons to sing a hymn together, or sat quietly listening to music that moved our hearts. And that's what music does. It gives us those moments. So, my friend, my encouragement to you is this, make some space for music in your home, big or small, structured or spontaneous. Just let it be a part of your family's life. It's one of the best gifts you can give your kids and it will stay with them long after they've left your home. And if you'd like a little more structure, don't forget to check out reading rhythm dot com once more for those private virtual beginner piano lessons for kids. And thank you so much for hanging out with me today. Keep bringing joy, keep learning, and keep making your homeschool a place where music and love flow freely, And until next time, happy homeschooling,