Music to My Ears

“Piano used to be something I had to do,” says Kim. “Now it’s something I’m lucky to do.” Kim received a Master of Music performance degree from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and holds a Bachelors of Music from the University of Michigan. Currently she and eight-month old baby Claire (or as my Ella calls her, “Baby Bach”) teach private lessons from their home and at a local music studio once a week. Though she does not have a mini-piano in her stylish Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag, she does admit “there is always a CD playing in Claire’s room when I change her diaper. It’s usually a church primary recording or a classical CD from one of my history of music classes.”

“It is never too early to get your child interested in music,” Kim assures me. But Kim suggests waiting until a child is at least six-years old before shelling out $20 to $60 dollars for a half hour of private music instruction.

“Parents have to be really involved when young children start private training; you have to be committed to having your child practice everyday.”
Though she says any musical instruction is great for child development, Kim suggests the piano is the best way to start. “Piano is a great foundation for all music appreciation. Plus, it sounds like music right away, even when you just begin learning… string and wood instruments require a lot of practice before they sound right.”
What else is in Kim’s diaper bag?
The bag is filled with the usuals, plus a sun hat and lotion (no skin cancer for baby Claire), a nursing cover, change of clothes for baby, and perhaps most important - a camera.

Rather than keeping a written journal, Kim takes pictures and videos (lots of them) of Claire that she then posts on a family Internet site. “It amazes me how fast Claire grows and how quickly she changes.” Kim says the last eight months have flown by and calls her baby’s continual growth a “bittersweet realization of how quickly babies grow up.”
Maybe that’s why when I asked her what advice she would share with other moms or expecting mothers, Kim said “try to enjoy each stage as much as possible because it passes quickly.” Though piano was a central part of Kim’s childhood and is now her profession, she does not want to force her daughter Claire into music. “I’ll encourage her and support her,” Kim says, “but it has to be her own interest. I don’t ever want it to be a source of contention on our mother-daughter relationship.”
That’s because, growing up, piano practice and performing was a sore-spot for Kim and her mom. “Now I get it,” Kim says. “She wanted me to be the best I could and really pushed me to practice and excel.” Regardless of what Claire’s future interests may be, Kim says she learned a valuable lesson from her mom’s persistence. “My mom wanted me to develop discipline and learn to work hard; those are skills I want my children to learn too.”
Kim says those skills (dedication, discipline, passion for an activity) can be realized in other ways besides playing an instrument, like painting and sports. Regardless of what baby Claire’s interest may be, Kim says she is determined to encourage her daughter but never force her.

Another suggestion for music appreciation: “Repeat the same song regularly. Your child will begin to recognize songs and music will become another form of expression for them.”