Dad, why do you like music?

We wanted James to have a sleep this afternoon and so I lay down next to him on his bed and sang a little to him. I sang a slowish love song and inserted his name in a couple of places.

He was still awake and so later I grabbed one of my Style Council CDs and put that on. While it was playing he asked what CD it was and I told him it was one of mine. I told him I liked sharing my favourite music with him.

He then asked me, “Dad, why do you like music?” I said, “Music can make you happy, it can make you sad, it can make you want to jump, it can make you angry …” “Cross?” James asked. “Yes, cross.” I replied. “It can make you feel lots of things.”

Then he stunned me. “I feel a bit nervous talking about this, but when you sang that song, I had tears.”

Through the singing of a simple love song to my 5 year old son, I was able to move him to tears. I know I’m not a great singer (no that wasn’t why he cried) but I was still able to move him. I guess that’s a pretty good answer right there as to why I like music. It can move me, it can move my boy and it can move billions of other people to feel more deeply and to connect with each other.



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About the author

Rodney Olsen

Rodney is a husband, father, cyclist, blogger and podcaster from Perth Western Australia.

He previously worked in radio for about 25 years but these days he spends his time at Compassion Australia, working towards releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name.

The views he expresses here are his own.

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