The Family That Plays Together

I've written several times about the power of music to bring families together and to inspire creativity and discipline in young people. This afternoon at the square in front of the Civic Center in Muskogee an example of that power was evident.

Today marked the first in a series of bluegrass concerts to be held monthly through June. The first band, Rockin' Acoustic Circus out of Tulsa, was composed of music teacher, Rick Morton, and his students, all teenagers. Teenagers playing blugrass music. (Actually, children have always been admitted to the inner circle of family-friendly bluegrass music, it is just rather rare to find them playing it in this day-and-age.)

But, these weren't just teenagers playing bluegrass music - these were marvelously talented young people who have dedicated their lives to an art. They are versatile and can play classical, as well as Celtic, pop, and country, in addition to bluegrass. Some started out playing in the orchestra, most at around age of ten or twelve. Without a doubt, music has changed their lives.

If you want to know more about this group, here is their website:

http://www.rockinacousticcircus.com/

Also playing today was Muskogee's own Spring Street. An exceptional young man, Halston Williams, plays the fiddle in this band, along with his dad, Mike, on banjo. Halston is an example of the wonderful teenagers who will lead Muskogee into the 21st century. Here is the link to their MySpace, if you want to know more about them:

http://www.myspace.com/springstreetbluegrass

Music is important to the development of the total person. It is a lifelong skill linked to greater success in math, increased self esteem, and self-discipline, as evidenced by the exceptional young people I saw today. Sharing it with your children, whether at a concert or performing together, can stregthen the bonds between you, especially through the teen years.