Music Hunt: Day One

Just like any other muscle in your body, the ears need to be trained to really listen. Studying music in college, we were required to take a course every semester titled "Ear Training". As serious musicians, we worked out our ears for an hour a day, just listening and focusing, teaching our brains to interpret each vibration with greater accuracy.

Of course, I would not ask you to do that. Instead, I want you to take just one day, today, to focus on what you are hearing. Start inside as the day begins. Listen to the sounds of the water running in the bathroom as the children start their day. Listen to the bacon sizzle in the pan. Coffee pots make great gurgling sounds. Maybe Daddy is still snoring. And please don't forget the birds outside. Perhaps the most obvious form of natural music, there is often a rhythm to their calls. Sometimes you can even hear them calling your name!

Playing outside today? Focus on the sound of the wind in the trees, the cars going by, airplanes overhead, the neighbors dog. Bees buzzing around you can make a rhythmic hum as they flit closer and further away.

Make the effort today, everywhere you go, to listen. Ask your children what they hear. They may notice things that you might have missed. And most of all, enjoy your musical day!