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Guest Article by Sarah Gentili

The Power of Music

The other day, frustrated with the lack of quality family shows on television, I sat down with my three kids and had an impromptu karaoke night. (Singing along to a musical video.) It was a wonderful experience. I was amazed at the change that turning off the TV and flipping on the music had with all of us. My kids, like most youngsters can fight amongst themselves and tease and poke at each other. Not once did this behavior show up while we were listening to the music.

We each took turns picking music and ended up enjoying a wide range of genres and styles. I got to listen to some of my kid’s favorite music and share some of my favorites as well. It was interesting to discover what my kids liked. This single impromptu activity lead to several conversations with my children I had not planned on.

Most of the music was appropriate. There were a few songs that I had to veto. While the lyrics were not bad in the eyes of an eight or nine year old, there was no hiding the clever euphemisms and the not so subtle message behind the music from an adult.

This lead to honest and blunt conversations about what messages music was sending to the listeners. The bottom line was that it was all right to disagree about some things, style and rhythm for example, but no one should be listening to music that was blatantly suggestive of inappropriate things.

In the end it was the funniest night we had in a long time. We laughed and danced and were silly. But the most wonderful thing was how receptive everyone was. Instead of typical bickering between siblings and sullen attitudes, the kids listened when they needed to, got along and asked to do it again.

Over all it was a great family night. The unplanned nature and relaxed atmosphere was a definite plus. This was one of those golden opportunities that a parent has to grab onto with both hands and run with it. Parenting is not easy. It has grueling hours and it’s a thankless job. Nights like this make it worthwhile. I would encourage all parents to look for opportunities to break out of their normal routine, turn off the television and have a true family night.

Another key ingredient to our successful night was the music itself. Words can have power. They can affect what you think, feel and do. I have often heard people say that listening to certain music can effect their mood. In our case, I believe that music does affect the mood of the house. There’s less fighting and more listening. This is key if you want to be an effective parent.

So turn off the television, turn up the music and dance and sing your way to a stronger family.

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