Talk to any Music Together teacher and they will surely say . . . "I have the BEST job in the world!" Getting to work with families of young children is amazingly rewarding, meaningful, and FUN. We always share about the importance of making music with your family at home; not just putting on the CDs, but actually MAKING the music yourself. I truly believe this is great for bonding and community and fun!
Even though I really think this is important and good, I've noticed as my children have gotten older making music with them is not as easy. I recall my daughters as adolescents would often not appreciate family singing or my attempts to get them to join in, even just around the house or in the car, but especially not dancing in the almond butter isle at Trader Joes when a Cure song would come on. My dog loves singing with me and the chickens definitely tolerate it, my husband is a great sport at going swing dancing, but active music making with the children has been more difficult.
Now, I have teenagers! I also have the Music Together bumper magnet that says, "My Family Makes Music Together"; and it's felt like little bit of truth-stretching until recently (even though pets are considered part of our family). After returning home from a long weekend to New Orleans with this daughter and seeing tremendous amounts of wonderful live music, including an all-girl momma-daughter-grandma jam band, I thought it would be fun to make a band with my friends and daughter.
Spiderbaby, our band, started practicing last fall with my good girlfriend, her daughter, my daughter and me; it's been a fun adventure with some ups and downs, and learning to navigate feelings, attitudes, song choices and such. It was mostly for fun, playing our favorite Toasters/Specials/Cake/Patsy Cline/Johnny Cash songs, but this Friday we had the most crazy-good opportunity to play a real gig (fund raiser for Coalition Against Domestic Violence) at Rips. It has mostly felt satisfying to make music that I really adore for my own personal enjoyment, but it also clear any guilt about that my bumper-magnet on my car being for REAL: "My Family Makes Music Together" (and not just the ones with four legs or feathers)!
♪ Kathy
