Listening to music

[jabed]

I was just wondering what other peoples DC's listened to in music. My DS is just hitting 6 next week. My DW is musical (classical pianist) and she has taught him piano (we HE by the way) which he enjoys and is doing well at. I have no musical sense at all. I listen to classic gold radio in the car and such

DW is not concerned at DS's musical tastes ( what could be described as classical/ easy listening) and says he has to develop his own sense of what he likes but I worry he may not be doing what his peers are and I dont want him being seen as "odd".

So just wondered what other DC's are into.

Oh I don't know really. My DSCs (who are utterly against classical music even though they actually like a lot of it - they just feel it's uncool to admit it) keep saying we should make my DCs (ie their half siblings) listen to the latest stuff, but I'm not bothered. They hear it a bit - eg when my DSCs stay over we will have capital fm on rather than classic fm in the morning. DD hears plenty at school, in assemblies and from her friends singing it, but she's not old enough to worry about peer pressure yet (same with TV - she prefers older stuff and doesn't watch many new shows).

If your DS is happy just carry on as you are. In time if he wants to try fitting in by adjusting his taste then fine, but it's his choice. He is so young, I really doubt it'd be an issue yet (especially as he's not at school). IME it seems to be younger teens that are the harshest peers, by the time I got to 6th form college nobody was interested in what each other wore, watched or listened to - not my friends anyway. We were just a very happy bunch of misfits :o

Thank you. I think I worry more because I am an older father. I worry my DS will suffer from my not being so cool as other dads and since my DW is very classical in her music it has an effect. Despite my plebness we are a musical household through my DW and my DS.

When I was his age I did know most of the top pops because my own DM played them. Beyond that I dont think I knew more than " Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and " My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" which I played on kiddie tunes.

I have flashed through MTV for modern things but DS tells me that the "stuff is rubbish". Its all the same and the reason most people have to play it so loundly is because its only the beat section that distinguishes any of it and then only when loud. So that is me told.

I have taken to listening to Heart in the car for this reason! We are an indie rock household and DD recently got upset that she didn't know her friends music, and vice versa.

Might worth flicking through radio stations when you are in the car to see if you can find something you both like or can tolerate anyway

Definitely avoid MTV! I don't mind what my DCs listen to really, but I don't want them seeing music videos as so many of them are just scantily clad females in various states of contortion (ok now I sound old! :o)

Anyway, he's made the choice for you it seems! I really think that given free choice lots of children would choose differently from the norm. And as you're homeschooling anyway, he won't have the constant battle to fit in with his class, we don't HE (we would love to TBH) but I would think it is different having friendships in sports clubs, scouts etc to being with the same 30 children all week long.

if he is just coming up to 6, I don't think he needs to know the "in" music at all. I wouldn't worry about it. It is later when they get into teenage years or maybe pre-teen years, that it might matter to him but at that stage he will know his way around the internet and so on and listen to what he wants anyway.

Agree - at 6 taste in music in a complete non-issue.

My dcs didn't start getting 'into' music until they were 10. And now listen to Capital constantly.....

Oh, and however old you are you, you will always be uncool and a source fo constant embarassment to your child once they are a teen

Definitely avoid MTV! I don't mind what my DCs listen to really, but I don't want them seeing music videos as so many of them are just scantily clad females in various states of contortion (ok now I sound old! )

Yes, I know what you mean.

ZZZenAgain -DS already knows his way around the internet - especially YouTube for music. I may worry unnecessarily I know. As we HE I am concerned about his being differently educated to his peers anyway. We dont have too muich contact with DC'shis age really. We have a neighbour with a DC a couple of years older and one a couple of years younger.

The elder DC was learning the recorder at school. Mt DS heard this and immediately wanted to try ( cue DF:) I have a recorder from my school days
(still) and the books. DS being a little able in the music department mastered the recorder in all of 48 hours. I mentioned this may not be a way to win friends and influence people. He thoughtfully said he would ask neighbours DC round and he would accompany her on the piano whilst she played.

He us clearly developing musically. His favourite pieces now are Joplin " The Entertainer" which he currently entertains us with. he is also playing Satie and Chopin. He likes to see (of all people) Liberace play the piano on you tube (says he has style) and Richard Clayderman. I have downloaded things for him . He does seem to have mature tastes. Maybe its just me who worries too much.

Thanks for setting my mind at rest there.

We started taking DS to concerts , ballets etc from about the age of 2.
He used to just sit and listened.And radio 3 in the car (not Classic FM because of annoying ads).

Not much pop culture, probably we are older parents as well - we just listened to what we enjoy and he had no choice :) At 10 he is discivering some classic rock now but cannot stand any kind of pop.

Pleb mum here so it's usually radio2 in the car.
DS 7 likes some of the classic Disney songbook eg bare necessities, lion king. There's a good piano number in the aristocats !
Abba was a playground choice this year.
If given the choice though he'll often ask for Jazz fm which worries me slightly.

I don't think many six year olds listen to music or give it that much thought. DS currently only listens to Baroque. He refuses to go to concerts which have film tunes, even if the RPO are playing. He even hates ClassicFM as they repeat the same stuff all the time.

Well, musical children seem to take notice. My DS went through Baroque stage too - and still loves playing Baroque pieces.

Great thread!

BBC 6 Music might be more to his taste. Encourage him to listen to lots of different genres and pick a couple that he likes and learn up on them. Don't let him dismiss Radio 2, local radio or 6Music as "rubbish" - that would be a snobbish attitude, he needs to be polite about other people's taste and also to learn that to find the best music we have to listen to a whole heap of stuff and choose what we like. I really can't comment on MTV - we do severely restrict UrbanSpaceKid's screen time to 8 hours a week, and it's mostly taken up with Narnia, David Attenborough, and occasional Disney/Pixar films.

At six they really did ought to be getting familiar with the classic popular music. I would say the following are pretty essential for British-based kids:

Abba - musically actually quite complex, and if your DS can learn to play their greatest hits on piano, he'll get appreciation for that.

Queen - because Freddie Mercury has one of the best voices, ie biggest range and the songs are solid musically. Being able to sing the whole of Bohemian Rhapsody is a useful thing.

Beatles - heaps of great piano arrangements there too.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
The Wizard of Oz
Oliver
Mary Poppins

HTH