A Family Guide to Parenting Musically

A Family Guide to Parenting Musically is for families who want to make music a more meaningful part of their daily life. It is full of creative ideas about how to engage in musical parenting (doing things to help your child grow musically) as well as parenting musically (using music to achieve parenting goals). Designed for parents, grandparents, caregivers, and friends, this book breaks down activities by age bracket and by various scenarios. Seventy activities offer specific ways to explore the ideas at the core of this book: that all humans are musical, that music can make an important difference in family life, and that there are many ways to be musical.

Based on two decades of Lisa Huisman Koops's research and teaching with families, as well as mothering her own four children, A Family Guide to Parenting Musically provides developmental information and research-based discussions in a clear and engaging way. The companion website features author-recorded audio examples of songs, chants, and activities as well as links to Koops's popular Parenting Musically podcast, which provide an ongoing resource to further explore the ideas in this book. The book also includes tips from podcast interviewees, such as Ziggy Marley and Maggie Baird (mother to Billie Eilish and FINNEAS).

Lisa Huisman Koops is Professor of Music Education at Case Western Reserve University. She also teaches early childhood music classes, is the host of the podcast Parenting Musically, and is mother to four children. Her research focuses on the vital role of the family in optimizing children's musical experiences and learning. She is the author of Parenting Musically, a book documenting eight diverse families' use of music over the course of a year in Cleveland.

Dear Reader
Acknowledgments
List of Activities
About the Companion Website

Introduction: What is "Parenting Musically" All About?

Part One: Music is Important
1. Family Musicking Framework
2. You Are a Musical Family
3. Celebrating Your Family's Musical Canon
4. Discovering New Music as a Family
5. Cherishing Your Additional Adults in Family Musicking
6. What are Your Family's Musical Hopes and Dreams?

Part Two: Many Ways to Be Musical
7. Sing with Your Kids
8. Music Listening Together
9. Found Sounds and Rhythm Bands
10. Dance Parties Through the Decades
11. Creating Music, Creating Memories

Part Three: All Humans are Musical
12. Music Before Birth
13. Connecting with Your Infant Through Music (Birth to 12 Months)
14. Musicking Through the Day with Toddlers (ages 12 to 36 months)
15. Widening Musical Worlds with Preschoolers (ages 3 to 5 years)
16. Uncovering Musical Interests with Early Elementary-Age Children (ages 5 to 9 years)
17. Nurturing Musical Expression with Late Elementary-Age Children (ages 9 to 12 years)

Part Four: Expressing Agency as a Family with Music
18. How to Participate in Early Childhood Music Experiences
19. How to Help Your Child Choose an Instrument or Voice Part
20. How to Help Your Child Develop Musical Skills
21. How to Approach Musical Practice in Healthy Ways
22: How to Sustain Musical Involvement

Epilogue: Parenting Musically and Musical Parenting in Context

Appendix
Bibliography
Further Reading