Sucker for 6/8

August 5, 2021

I'm a sucker for songs in 6/8 time, no matter the music style... Queen's Somebody to Love, Christina Perri's A Thousand Years, the Goo Goo Dolls' Iris, Seal's Kiss from a Rose, Ed Sheerin's Perfect, Aretha Franklin's A Natural Woman, Billy Joel's Piano Man. I don't know why that ONE-two-three-FOUR-five-six swinging rhythm so captures me whether it's fast or slow, but there's no denying that it does.

And I might not even notice that it does, but for one strange little fact: I'm a thoroughly mediocre cellist.

I took cello lessons from age 8 to age 14; during those six years, I graduated from "truly bad" to "moderately acceptable," at least acceptable enough to play in orchestras where my individual sound would be drowned out by the better kids' playing. But even as unskilled as I am on the cello, I am happier as an adult for having played it as a kid, because my lessons made me understand music: I hear and appreciate it with far different ears than I would have had I not studied it early in life. A lot of orchestral music is in 6/8 time, and I'm sure that's why I recognize it and respond instinctively when I hear it. Understanding what makes your heart sing helps you be on the lookout for more, and that makes your life better.

You want that for your kids, too!

So in the upcoming school year, think about exposing your kids to music in various ways. Orchestras and music educators often sponsor events with "instrument petting zoos" that allow kids to try a variety of instruments in a supportive setting. Perhaps they can attend a music school that gives students the latitude to explore several instruments, or one that emphasizes the love of music more than rigorous mastery. And, of course, take advantage of whatever your school offers. Even just one or two years of music education changes a person for the good, forever.

Trust me: A child who takes music into her own hands will take it into her own heart for the rest of her life. Even if she's as mediocre at it as I was.

—Deb