Having children enjoy vegetables for a healthy diet has been always challenging. One day at a picnic in the church back yard a few years ago, I was a little surprised to see a mom pick all the vegetables out of her hamburger: tomatoes, lettuces, and so on. When she had only the meat and cheese left, she became finally satisfied. When found me looking at her, she smiled and said, "I cannot ask my kids to try vegetables because I am not a good eater as you see."
One day, I picked up a CD and started listening. It was one of Mozart's piano concertos. Solomon was around me, so I asked him who the composer of the music was. He said he didn't know. That's OK, but after then I was shocked to learn that he didn't even know who Mozart is! And he didn't know Bach, Handel, and some other great composers. The fact both his parents are musicians doesn't guarantee that he will know about great composers. I felt ashamed that I had not given him enough chances to go music concerts together and introduce him to these great musicians.
Children deserve more chances to experience various cultural lives. It can be foods from all over the world or music of all kinds or anything as long as it's healthy, high quality, and gives a positive impact for their life. Without these opportunities, it will not be their fault if they don't show any interest and talent in an area they didn't get exposed to.
Westminster has had a good tradition in supporting our youth to go and experience fine church music at the Green Lake Music Conference in Wisconsin during summer. This year 3 Light Shine members, Grace Han, Megan Lane, and Tyler Thomas with the Han Family and Mabel Rempe will participate in this wonderful opportunity. I hope that we will be fully charged with fresh musical ideas and share the energy with everyone at the musical activities at church in coming choir year.