Your Childhood Soundtrack

Did you grow up with music in your home? What kind of music did your parents, aunts, or siblings listen to? Most of us end up loving or hating our parents’ favourite music. Sometimes it takes a long time for us to appreciate our parents’ musical taste. The video game The Beatles: Rockband is popular because this music has been passed on from a previous generation. The whole family can enjoy the music together.

Which songs and artists are on the soundtrack of your childhood? The most interesting childhood soundtracks come from homes where the family members have different musical tastes. For example, the father may be into classical music while the mother is a die hard country fan. An older brother may go through a stage of heavy metal while a sister may have a thing for jazz. Music in the home leaves lasting memories. When you hear a song from your childhood you instantly become nostalgic.

When did your parents listen to music? My mother always listened to music while she washed the dishes. She loved the Gypsy Kings, Neil Diamond, and Fleetwood Mac. These artists are part of my childhood soundtrack. I also enjoy them now. My father listened to music during the holidays when we had company over. Kenny Rogers was his favourite music for entertaining. Of course, this was before CD’s and MP3’s when we listened to records and cassette tapes!

Perhaps you have children of your own. Have you thought about the soundtracks you are creating for them? So far my children have been exposed to a mix of salsa, alternative rock, and Disney music. I am sure they will grow up loving or hating U2! Every child deserves to grow up with music in the home. Learning the lyrics to English music is a great way to study the language.

Wordchecker
siblings: brothers and sisters
appreciate: understand and become thankful for
musical taste: the type of music you enjoy
soundtrack: the music from a movie
guardians: people who look after children
nostalgic: a feeling of wanting to be living in the past; homesick

Think back to your childhood. Which songs or artists would be on your childhood soundtrack? Share these in the comments or discuss with your class.