Betty Music

Learned a lesson from the daughter the other day; don't sing her to sleep. She enjoys being rocked and even hummed to or schushed, but add words and she wakes up, sings along or protests.

I learned this lesson in a funny way. I was rocking her after a feeding and before a nap and I thought, I never sing to her in the rocking chair. ( of course, she usually conks out after a feeding so she is an easy put down for sleep). I thought, what should I sing? I immediately went to the classics, in our house " Betty Music". Betty Music is music learned from Music together taught by the fabualous Miss Betty. All our Cd players have " Miss Betty Music" on them. The son learned his first words, melodies, rythms and songs from his music classes. He also fell in love with Miss Betty and her red guitar.

So I started with " Great big stars" a favorite in our house. The daugther looked at me me sweetly and I thought, great; she will off to sleep in a few seconds. No such luck. The more I sang, the more she perked up and soon she was cooing along. Oh no. I sang more and so did she. Only when I became quiet and breathed softly over her head did she fall to sleep.

How different she is from her brother who must have 2 lullabyes before he can go to sleep.

But she does share his love of music, just as long as it is not at bed time.

I love watching her jump up and down and smile and purse her lips to make noise to go along with the music. She lights up when her brother pulls out his guitar to play for her and she also enjoys tapping on the tamborine.

I have watched music give my son a medium and a voice and a joy the purest as I have ever seen. He has been picked up out of audiences by conductors who appreciated his heart for music . Indeed there is something special there and it is his mother and my responsability to nuture and feed it.

So too the sister. What will she love , what will show her heart?

Wherever she goes and becomes, I know that the roots of music education are fundamental to her development. I always appreciated Arts education, but as a parent I see just how it shapes children and to regard it as an " extra" is just unfair. For my son, it is the very breathe of life. I must make sure that it is always there for him and all children.

And it does cost; money, time, commitment, support...but hey, in the grand scheme of making fine adults out of youth..its ...just a little prick.