The power of music.

As a Christian I know that music can be a powerful medium of praise and worship. But how do you as a parent reconcile when your child begins to get into music that may or may not be entirely wholesome? I mean, how could your child, the child of good parents, listen to all this music that can include everything from Lady Gaga to Eminem to Jason Aldean and everything in between? There's swearing, sex, lewd references, and other concepts that you would NEVER teach your child and WHY would I allow my kid to listen to them!? Let me tell you why from my point of view. For everything I am feeling in a given day from anger to sheer joy, from "I wanna cry for hours" to "I wanna run down the street screaming about how good life is," there is a song for it, and I so love music that I will find it. If I'm in love and feeling frustrated, I will look up a Broadway song called "The Bitch of Living" because it details exactly the frustration I feel. If I want a depressing song to make me cry I will look up Superchick's "Beauty From Pain." On the other hand if I want to laugh and just be silly I will look up "A Miracle Would Happen" from The Last Five Years Broadway musical. If I am boiling angry mad I will look up "Kill You" by Eminem. I know a little from a LOT of artists and could probably sing you most of the lyrics including the unwholesome ones because at some point during my life that particular song got me through either a happy or a hard time. I love rap, pop, hip-hop, Broadway, classical, oldies, and everything else.

I believe people should encourage their children to explore ALL music because it can help them through a hard time when they need it, pick them up when they're down, give the ultimate high when they're happy, and take them to far off worlds that they never would know otherwise. It is also an immensely powerful form of communication. If a song has lyrics that you don't understand, and your child keeps listening to it, look up what the song means and you may be able to understand what they don't have the ability to tell you. Also, designate a time and place and encourage them to sing out the songs, because something about the exertion of energy it takes to sing a song, especially a powerful song, really makes me feel powerful and like I can handle anything even if my singing would raise the dead and make them wish they were dead again! It's all about my perception, and how I feel when I think I can do something. Now, a disclaimer, because I'm all about those. You need to make sure that your child understands what the definition of "unwholesome" is, and that they understand there is a time and place for an unwholesome song. That time and place is not in church, not around people that would be offended by it, and not in any place where YOU deem inappropriate. You are still the parent and still dictate what is right and wrong. Just take the time to explore music with your kids, and hey, you might learn you like something new! My mother now loves the Black Eyed Peas despite the fact that she thinks they look weird, because she loves the beat AND the fact that she thinks half their words make no sense. Your child can teach you a lot, and music is a great place to start.