Music is such a valuable skill and can add so much to family culture. Its ability to direct our mind upward is enough for us to know why we should incorporate it into family culture.
The shepherd boy who sat among his flock with plenty of time to lift his mind upward, and later king, David, comes to mind. To sit with his lyre, playing in contemplation and supplication to his Lord.
Likewise, To experience sacred music at a high Mass, by my calculation, might be the closest resemblance to heaven we will experience on earth.
In high school I did an oration about the importance of music for growing minds. I wasn’t Catholic then, so it was more technical in nature, but in preparing for it I learned a lot about how learning music enhances the brain. It’s pretty spectacular. This was during the time that music and arts were being cut from public schools.
Where we live there isn’t a choir for our girls to participate in, but I figured we have enough girls to make a pretty solid quartet! This year during Hallowtide I taught the kids a souling song and we dreamed up the idea that we will get together a choir of Catholic friends and go souling. I really want a hurdy gurdy- it would be the perfect accompaniment to it! Too bad they are uber expensive.