A Very Merry Melody

In every culture, music is an integral part of most holiday seasons. It enriches the experience of the holidays by incorporating messages into the lyrics of songs and by our associating familiar melodies with past holiday experiences. Clearly, music is a holiday tradition celebrated by many.

For example, in our household we know the Christmas season is upon us when my wife puts on the scratchy Christmas LPs we have listened to for many years now. This time of year, many families have music-centered traditions ranging from caroling to attending a Nutcracker performance. Children especially identify with the sounds of the season.

Our extended family has a number of young grandchildren and we have been building a tradition at family gatherings for a few years now. At some point in the evening, I sit down on the living-room floor, pull out my guitar and tune it up. The children, now ages 4 through 7, gather around immediately with looks of expectation on their beautiful faces. They begin to sing holiday songs together, and they take turns strumming the guitar while I finger the chords. Parents and grandparents gather round and enjoy watching us make music. The children, uninhibited about hamming it up, usually get up off the floor, dance to the music and put on a show to everyone's delight.

After dinner, we often sing holiday songs, a cappella or with simple rhythm instruments for accompaniment. The children have absorbed these musical experiences over the years and it has become a tradition that we all enjoy.

Does music-making together sound like an impossible stretch for your family? Over the past 50 years, with the growth of audio and visual media production, Americans have in general been listening more to music rather than creating it. After all, it is much easier to put in a CD and listen to professional choirs and orchestras perform holiday music, as opposed to actually making the music.

It is important to understand that you do not need a professional musician in your family to make music happen at gatherings. For example, holiday songs can be accompanied on the guitar after only a very few months of study and practice. With or without basic instrumental proficiency, the most important thing in a home setting is that children are included in the music making, and that everyone has fun doing it together. You might supply your children with bells to accompany a hearty rendition of Jingle Bells or search for basic household items that could double as an instrument. Starting when children are very young, say, two to five years old, is a definite plus because at that age they love all musical activities, even the simplest ones. They are not at all critical of the technical aspects of the performance. They are connected to what the music feels like, and the experience of doing it with their family, not caring at all if the singing is concert quality, or even in tune!

Traditions have more meaning when families actually do things together. This year, try music!