Photo by Emmanuel Phaeton on Unsplash
Music learning takes place in many forms and contexts. Discover fun, diverse, unique ways to spark curiosity and creativity. From captivating books and movies to educational podcasts and interactive activities, this resource listing provides a foundation for your child’s (or your own!) unique musical journey while also inspiring you to come up with your own ideas for musical exploration. Every musical moment you create plants a seed that can grow for a lifetime!
I’m Mindy Peterson, host of Enhance Life with Music podcast, where we explore the ways music can make our lives better. And this is Microhance, a micro-dose of musical enhancement.
Where I live, in the Minneapolis area, it is finally feeling like spring; and hints of summer are in the air. Some colleges have already held commencement ceremonies; others are wrapping up classes for the school year; and K-12 schools – and families with kids that age – are experiencing the end-of-year performances and getting plans in place for summer. My own kids are now in college or beyond, but after decades as a music teacher, I still feel that seasonal spring thrill of culminating a season of learning and approaching a summer that represents a change in routine, a more casual vibe – a time characterized by less intensity, more refreshment, and more social engagement during summer holidays and vacations.
If you have a child in music lessons, they may be taking a break from formal lessons during the summer, or may be taking less frequent lessons during the summer. These more relaxed months can be a perfect time to support your child’s musical growth and creativity in fun, diverse ways beyond the traditional music lesson format – and in ways that you can enjoy along with your child. And if you don’t have young ones in your life, support your own musical growth and creativity! This is a perfect time of year to compile a list of musical treats for whatever your age or stage.
I’m thinking of ideas like:
- Outdoor music festivals. Countless parks in the Twin Cities offer live music events in the summer, some of which are free.
- Visit a musical theme park, museum, or other attraction. I happen to live near Prince’s Paisley Park and also The Schubert Club Music Museum. Other ideas are Phoenix’s Musical Instrument Museum, Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and National Museum of African American Music (all of which have been featured on this show; I’ll include links in the show notes).
- Take a field trip to your local music store (that would be Schmitt Music if you live near the Twin Cities, and it is definitely a destination worth visiting if you haven’t been).
- Create a summer playlist or a Purposeful Playlist (I’ve linked to episodes on both of those topics in the show notes).
- For those summer road trips or rainy days, consider books about a musician’s life or some other musical topic; a music-related podcast episode; or a movie (like a documentary, musical, or a drama like “Walk the Line” or “Ray”).
Make a list for rain or shine; solo or as an activity to do with others. Let your list provide a scaffolding to enhance relational interactions with others, whether it’s your kiddos, grandkids, friends you keep saying you want to see, or relatives visiting from out of town.
When I was teaching, I came up with a list of ideas like this for families of my students. The list was inspired by the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA)’s Achievement Award Program, which recognizes the music education value of a variety of activities that are fun; are of personal, individual interest; and not necessarily thought of in the context of traditional music lessons. I’ve created a similar list for this episode – it’s available on my website (just click the link in the show notes) – with a variety of ideas and resources. Each suggestion is intended to spark curiosity and creativity, providing a foundation for your child’s unique musical journey. I hope that looking over the list will also get your own creative wheels turning and inspire your own ideas for musical exploration.
In the relaxed rhythm of summer, find new ways for musical growth and creativity to bloom. Summer invites us to trade structure for spontaneity—moments of wonder we create together. And if you have kiddos in your life, every musical moment you create this summer plants a seed that can grow for a lifetime.
If you go on a musical adventure, or have an idea to add to my list, I would love to hear about it.
You can always connect with me on email (mindy@mpetersonmusic.com), Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn.
I’m Mindy Peterson, and I hope this inspires you to enhance your life with music.
View all Microhance episodes
If you enjoyed this episode, please:
- Follow us in your podcast app: This is FREE and conveniently delivers each new episode to your device when it releases, so you don’t have to search for it.
- Share us with others: If you know of someone who would enjoy this episode, please share it with them! It’s easy to do right in your podcast listening app. Just tap the Share feature for options to share by text, email, or social media (or share this page).
- Rate & review our show: This fuels our creative energy, and also helps others find the show!
Note: We occasionally use affiliate links for products and services we whole-heartedly believe in. We may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, for purchases made through these links. This helps support the free content we provide.