A Car Ride, Music, and Joy

Every weekend we travel for more than an hour in the car to see family. Since the beginning of the year we've spent a lot of hours in the car and it can get dull. Recently though, with me trying to keep joy in mind, I've noticed the special, joyful things about those car rides, things like our love of music.

The Hubby and I love all different kinds of music, ranging from Rock to Classical. I can quite happily listen to the Sunset Boulevard soundtrack, then switch to Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP2 (not while the boys are around though). With all the travel we've being doing we listen to a lot of music, it helps with the boredom.

What I've noticed recently though is that our love of music is contagious and the boys are starting to enjoy a wide range too. 


Early Influences




Our boys' music education started early on, like while they were growing in my tummy.

When I fell pregnant with BP everyone thought that by playing Mozart to the baby would make them smart. I thought I'd try it, I mean what could I lose right? He responded to it really well and began to recognise the music, he would even kick when I played it.

With LP I didn't have the time to sit and play music for him because I had a 4 year old at the time too. Instead LP was exposed to nursery rhymes, TV programme music, and our voices.

As babies they both got to listen to classical music while they fell asleep. We rigged up a player so they could listen to gentle music to fall asleep to and I think it helped them settle easier. By twelve weeks old they were both sleeping through the night (at least 6 hours), without interruption.


Current Influences


Throughout the years our boys have been exposed to all sorts of music. What kind of music we play really depends on what mood we're in. 



From Meatloaf to Ella Fitzgerald, from Mozart to Jean Michel Jarre, and everything in between. My boys have listened to a lot of music, some they enjoy, others not so much. They're not big fans of Michael Bublé (I blame their dad! Yes Hubby I mean YOU!), although LP does love the Spiderman song.



When we were in the car a few weeks ago we were playing one of our jazz playlists that I particularly enjoy. On the list is a track from The Talented Mr. Ripley soundtrack entitled Tu Vuo' Fa L'Americano, it's sung in Italian (I think) and it is one of my favourites because it reminds me of the movie. 

Anyway, this song came on as we drove along a particularly boring road. The great thing was the boys began singing along, in Italian-ish. They love the chorus and really try their best to sing along with it. They both sang at the top of their voices with giant smiles on their faces, and I grinned.

You see it was in this moment that I realised that we have influenced our children in a good way. We've taught them that there's a wide range of music to be enjoyed.

My boys singing their own version of that song made me laugh and filled my heart with such joy. 

It really is the smallest things that can bring you the biggest joy.

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