Music: Does your home need a tune up?

Transcription

1 Music: Does your home need a tune up? For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads (D&C 25:12) If the Savior knocked at your door, what would he hear coming from inside? Would he hear the TV so loud that no one could hear him knock, would he hear loud, harsh music blasting from somewhere inside, would he hear angry, loud voices, or would he be able to feel the sweet spirit that dwells within and the beautiful sound of good music emanating from within your home? Music has boundless powers for moving families toward greater spirituality and devotion to the gospel. Latter-day Saints should fill their homes with the sound of worthy music. Ours is a hymnbook for the home as well as for the meeting house. We hope the hymnbook will take a prominent place among the scriptures and other religious books in our homes. The hymns can bring families a spirit of beauty and peace and can inspire love and unity among family members. Teach your children to love the hymns Sing them on the Sabbath, in home evening, during scripture study, at prayer time. Sing as you work, as you play, and as you travel together. Sing hymns as lullabies to build faith and testimony in your young ones. (First Presidency Preface, pg. x, Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). Sacred music makes spiritual things more understandable. It prepares emotions for response to the promptings of the Holy

2 Spirit. ( Elder Richard G. Scott) The Prophets have told us that we need to make good wholesome music a part of our home. Don t limit yourself or your family. We encourage you to explore all kinds of wholesome music. Listen to classical music. Some of the contemporary LDS music is wonderful and appealing to a large range of ages. It will usually have a very appealing beat and always contains a good message. As parents we can't be afraid to get involved. We need to be aware of what our children want. Our youth today want a beat, that is what is drawing them to music. It is not the beat that is the problem in our secular music it is the LYRICS! Our LDS artist are pursuing giving the youth that beat with a message that as a parent we are comfortable with. Family Home Evening Ideas: Name that tune Using the hymn book or the Primary songbook, see how few notes your family needs to name the song. Be sure to keep in mind the ages of all members of your family and choose songs that all will be familiar with. This can be done with a piano, with someone humming the tune, or with tapes of the hymns or songs. The music and sheet music is also available at A variation of this is to read a verse or part of a verse and have the family see if they can name the song. This is harder than it sounds. Too many times we just sing and don t listen to what we are singing. It will also give you an opportunity to discuss some of the teachings that are in our hymns and Primary songs. Music expresses that which cannot be said, and that which cannot

3 be suppressed (Victor Hugo). How do you feel Have an evening of helping your family realize how different types of music make them feel. Try to have very different types of music such as popular, hard rock, classical, church hymns, for just a few examples so that your family will have a better understanding of how the type of music they listen to influences how they feel. With every child listening daily to the gems of good music, preferences for the beautiful in music will follow as dawn follows night (Hollis Dann). If you want your kids to sing hymns in Sacrament Meetings, have them sing the hymns at home. Experience: One Sunday, many years ago, I looked down the row at my children, and noticed that not all of them were singing the hymn at church. Then it dawned on me that if I wanted them to sing those hymns in church, that I should have them sing them in my home. So for Christmas, we bought all of my kids their own leather (so it would last) hymn book with their name engraved on it. I also bought the vocal CD of all the hymns. Every FHE we open and close with a hymn, as we follow along with the CD. My goal is to make sure all my kids sing every hymn in the hymn book before they leave my home. When they leave my home, they can take their hymn book with them. This activity in our home dramatically changed their music participation in church. (Jana Fuller-Highland, Utah) When my last two babies were born, as a gift, my parents sent a CD player with music by Bach, Mozart, etc. At night they would fall asleep to that beautiful, inspired music. How wonderful it was to have this gift of music! (Jana Fuller-Highland, Utah)

4 Internet resources: You can listen to the Church Hymns, Primary Songs, print sheet music, and much, much more at Free internet LDS radio: Free LDS sheet music: lds.about.com/library/clipart/blnewera-music.htm IDEAS FOR WORSHIP THROUGH MUSIC 2004 Women s Conference Sharing Station Worship through music On Sunday, listen to Tabernacle Choir CD s or tapes and to music of the masters. Invite people over to play or sing for an evening of music. Include music in your family home evenings. Remember everyone loves the songs in the Children s Songbook. Have a family rhythm box. Teach your family to love the hymns. We sing them to invite the spirit.

5 Have fun with the hymns. For example, in the meter section of the index, it lists many songs that can be sung to the same tune, such as hymn book #54 Behold The Mountain Of The Lord can be sung to the tune of America The Beautiful. Teach your children to conduct. Sing around the piano, on trips, as you work, play, and in carpools. Have family recitals in your home. Make up stories or dance to classical music. Practice family music to sing and/or play at church or events. Learn to play an instrument.