How to Grow a Young Music Lover

by Cheri Fuller

How to Grow a Young Music Lover is the ideal guide for parents who want to boost their children’s education through music; parents who want to aid in their children’s cognitive, motor, and creative development; parents who love music and want their children to do the same; and parents who wish they knew more about music and want their children to have advantages and instruction they did not. The book is an extraordinary resource for homeschooling parents who want an informative, accessible music curriculum and those want to support their children’s instruction in piano, violin, or other instruments. It is also greatly appreciated by grandparents and other caregivers who want to initiate kids into the world of music; early childhood and elementary educators interested in solid, practical ways to teach their classroom about music; and any reader interested in learning more about musical history, terms, and methods. The book will also be well received by fans of musician Charlie Peacock, who wrote the foreword for this new edition.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Parenting

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 18, 2002

About the author

Cheri Fuller is a gifted speaker and award-winning author of more than forty books, including The One Year Women’s Friendship Devotional, the bestselling When Mothers Pray, and A Busy Woman’s Guide to Prayer. Her books have been translated into many languages, and her speaking ministry has provided encouragement to people throughout the U.S. and abroad. A former Oklahoma Mother of the Year, Cheri has been a frequent guest on national TV and radio programs. Her articles on family, spiritual growth, relationships, and prayer have appeared in Family Circle, Focus on the Family, Guideposts, and many other publications. Cheri holds a master’s degree in English literature and is executive director of the nonprofit organization Redeeming the Family. She and her husband, Holmes, live in Oklahoma, and have three grown children and six wonderful grandchildren. Cheri’s books, Bible studies, and other resources can be found at www.cherifuller.com along with information on her speaking topics and how to schedule Cheri for events. To find out more about the ministry, visit www.redeemingthefamily.org.

Reviews

[Ardyth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't realize how old this book is when I bought it on Kindle (my mistake), nor did I realize what a strong, deeply conservative Christian worldview it had (not really my mistake -- faith wasn't mentioned in the blurb -- though a closer look at the author details mentions Focus on the Family, which would've alerted me).

And when I say "deeply conservative Christian" above, I don't mean anything conservative and/or Christian is off the table around here. I mean this book sits very, very far along that spectrum.

For example, the chapter dedicated to two-paragraph explanations of American music genres (Country and Western, Pop-Dance/Rock, Reggae, etc) is only going to help adults who are disconnected from American pop culture to an extreme, and have been for decades. The author also highly recommends a seminar for parents called "What Should I Do If My Child Listens to Rock Music?" There is an undertone of assumption that all Christians are the same -- the only Christianity is this very conservative Christianity type deal.

I bought it for the 12 Months of Classical Music section, which is okay I guess, but not nearly as thorough as I expected. The composer bios are about a page long, and the "related materials" portion often suggests a work by a different composer without providing context on why it fits.

About half the book concentrates on why children should learn to play an instrument, and what to do when they want to quit.

[Gabrielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full disclosure, this was more of a "skimmed read" than an actual read. I found it to be possibly very good for parents or families who are just starting out and have absolutely zero knowledge of music. I was hoping for something different and more in depth on music development since my kids both take violin and piano and have for some years. If you have any knowledge of music I really recommend skipping this book and looking for something a little meatier. If you really are at square 1 with music then this is going to be a great manual for you.

[Kaelee Dewit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having grown up in a musical home I don’t feel like any of the information presented in this book was anything new. If you haven’t grown up with musical opportunities the first 3/4 of the book would help you provide those opportunities to your own child. I did appreciate the chapter on spiritual music as there was some stuff that I was unfamiliar with. I also appreciated the section on composers and can see myself referencing that in our homeschool. Three stars because I felt the beginning wasn’t the most useful for myself.

[Rachael Marsceau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't realize this was a Christian book, but I'm happier for it. Loved the "classics for every month" chapter, and the chapter on easy music games. Unfortunately a lot of the lists of resources shared are no longer helpful due to the book being so dated (I read the 1994 edition). But there were still plenty of great ways of incorporating music into the home that I look forward to implementing in future years.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book! The author shared lots of information about the benefits of music for children as well as great activities and a year-long music appreciation program that we will be using for our homeschool.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be helpful for a Christian parent who has little to no background in fine arts and wants to give their children a stronger musical foundation. There really is not a lot here that is very original; the best section of the book is towards the end, where there are composer biographies and activities geared towards helping children explore the world of classical music. This could be a helpful homeschooling resource.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing read, with only a few good ideas. The author shared only general and basic information. I was looking for more.