4 Fun and Meaningful Family Musical Activities for the Holidays

Music is one of the biggest reasons why the holiday season is so special. Whether it’s hearing a holiday song in a grocery store and being immediately transported to one’s childhood or attending an inspiring holiday concert, in many ways, music is a part of the glue that holds the holidays together. From getting in touch with your seasonal creativity to enriching members of your community who need it the most, today we’re sharing fun musical activities to do over the holidays.

Volunteer to sing in hospitals and assisted living facilities
Music isn’t just a fun hobby. It’s something that’s proven to improve a person’s life and strengthen the community they live in. One of the most rewarding musical things you can do this holiday season is to give back to your local community by performing holiday music in hospitals and assisted living facilities. The holiday season is a time when many of us take stock of everything we have; our friends, families, homes, health. Many of our neighbors aren’t as fortunate as we are. We can’t fix the world’s complicated problems through music, but we can help others in a powerful, enduring way through music. Whether it’s singing holiday songs with friends or playing solo on the flute, your efforts can truly make a difference this season. But before you run out the door to cheer up people with your music, make sure you check in with your local hospital or assisted living facility first to ask permission and adhere to their rules.

Write your own holiday songs
For many of us, holiday songs seem so ingrained in our lives that it feels like they’ve always existed. But the truth is that songwriters, composers, and lyricists had to come along and write the songs most of us associate with the holidays. Writing your own holiday music can be challenging, but don’t let that stop you. Exploring your own creativity for the holidays can be fun and even therapeutic if it’s a time of year you find especially stressful. Original holiday songs can be lighthearted personal projects or creations you share with friends and family or online.

Put on a neighborhood holiday concert
Throwing a neighborhood holiday concert is an excellent way to bond with neighbors, share your musical creativity, and celebrate the holidays. Most people love music, but not many people can create and perform it. One of the best ways to relate, entertain, and connect with those living around you is through music. It takes a good amount of work to put on a neighborhood holiday concert, but it can lay the foundation for an annual tradition that you, your family, friends, and neighbors look forward to every year.

Give a musical recording or performance as a holiday gift
Recording a song or performing for someone can make for a gift that no credit card in the world can finance. Music can be an intensely personal thing, even when a musician covers someone else’s song. You can surprise a loved one by performing a song for them this holiday season, or they’d probably be thrilled to receive a recorded song as a gift. Gifts like these are “free,” but the meaning and thoughtfulness they convey are priceless.

from the vault.com MNA