Music is such a gift! And it doesn’t take a lot to give that gift to your children. Simply focusing on one composer for several weeks, listening to his works and enjoying them together, can have a large impact.

Zelena O. had the privilege of seeing how much her boys have gleaned from the gift of music she has given them. Here is her Happy Results story.

This evening the boys were watching an old episode of Bugs Bunny. I was in the laundry room listening to the boys as they watched, and my husband, John, was milling around the house. The episode was the one where Bugs dresses in a tuxedo and plays the piano and plays several compositions and mentions the composers. The boys were calling out each tune as he began to play and one or both of them would yell out the composer’s name. They even explained to John what a “rhapsody” is—we’ve recently been studying Gershwin. John came into the laundry room and said, “The way you are teaching the boys is really having an impact, isn’t it? They are recognizing all those songs. They said the only one they didn’t know was Liszt.” I explained that Liszt is one they haven’t studied so far. And I agreed that yes, they are learning a lot and they are having a lot of fun doing it. Not bad for 15–20 minutes of composer study a week and having the music on in the background at lunch or during house cleaning or running errands!

Music is becoming an ever-present part of everyday life in our culture. Surveys tell us that the average American listens to four hours of music per day. Through music study, we can help cultivate our children’s tastes for what is beautiful and enriching. As Zelena said, it doesn’t take a lot of time each week, but those minutes add up to something great!

Happy Results Stories

Do you have a Happy Results story about seeing Charlotte Mason’s methods work with your children? It might be about living books, narration, music study, picture study, poetry, handicrafts, nature study—any of her simple and effective methods. Let us know about your encouraging experience—your Happy Results story—so we can share it with others.