Most people enjoy some type of music.

We all have our favorites. Many times we like to share our favorite music and songs with others, and hope that others like it too.

The music of grandparents and children will likely be different. Grandparents may enjoy songs from another generation and, of course, children may enjoy today’s music. Music can give us insight and appreciation for another generation or it may leave us wondering about music choices.

Appreciation for music starts with being a good listener. That not only means listening to our favorite music, but the favorite music of others.

Start by talking about favorite music, songs, or artists with your older family member or friend. What type of music do they like? Is it different from when they were younger. Do they have a favorite artist or song? Is there a song with special meaning? Start with a conversation.

Kids can join in the conversation too. Talk about what kinds of songs and artists are favorites of theirs.

Next find the music to listen to. With today’s technology, it’s as convenient as ever to find songs from any generation and time. Kids may likely have songs already on personal music devices. An older adult may still have records and a turntable that might be fun to explore. If not, find songs through apps or cd’s or whatever method you choose.

Take turns listening to each others music.  Our favorite music and songs might make more sense to others when accompanied by stories about the songs. An older adult might want to play a song that was the music at her wedding. A child might share songs from an artist he saw in concert. Personal stories around each piece of music give more meaning and may help us understand why someone would choose to listen to it.

Listening to the favorites of others will surely make us think of them and maybe appreciate their music too.