A friend of ours has four children. They're all still less than eight years old, and have yet many years to develop their tastes in music, but where they stand now offers some food for thought.
When the oldest was in utero, his musician mother was teaching at a college, and was totally immersed in classical music, particularly opera. He is now very bright, intense, and serious, with a lovely boy soprano voice and a love of classical singing to go with it.His siblings, all girls, are no doubt equally bright, but their musical tastes are quite different. When she was pregnant with the next two, our friend was the music director of a traditional church; they are now mellow, happy children who love traditional hymns. The youngest spent her formative pre-natal days listening to her mother rehearse with the "praise band" at another church, and she is the rocker of the family—the louder and more intense the guitars and drums, the better she likes it.
"So whence," I asked, "comes the delight all the children have in Broadway music?" "Subliminal," our friend replied. She and her husband sing together every night after the kids are in bed, and Broadway tunes are a favorite. Every night, as their son solemnly informed me, even when they get home really late, they take time to sing together.
No wonder the kids love music, and are singing all the time themselves. And no wonder theirs is such a delightful family.
