Expanding My Horizons

Gone are the days when I can feed my sons a steady "listening diet" of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Suzuki recordings. I guess they now have a mind of their own, and want to listen to something called "Top 40" and "YouTube"??? 

I literally could listen to Bach all day long, and never tire of it. 'Mama no fun' is sometimes my nickname. I'll stick with Bach and the like for myself, but I want my sons' musical experience to be relevant to them, with real world inspiration, and a connection to their current culture. 

It was our pleasure to have the opportunity to meet Mr. Jordan Hamilton at the Michigan Cello Festival in November. Mr. Hamilton helps relate his traditional instrument, the cello, to a modern audience. His mash up of Blackbird with Bach was breath-taking as he merged songwriting, loop pedals, sample machines, and vocals to create a sonic landscape of experimental hip-hop, folk, soul, and classical music. 

There are many great artists out there like Mr. Hamilton. I encourage you to seek them out and help your Suzuki student be inspired by all the creative voices out there.

---