> I think we're unintentionally teaching our children to consume music passively. My goal with this project was to teach them to discover it actively, to own it, to care about it at the album level. I think it kinda worked!
Some people also say that about prerecorded music and whine about when families had to gather around the piano to sing.
No. I'm paraphrasing a comment from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Liberalism_Failed. (A very important book no matter what part of the political spectrum you are on; even if you disagree with the author's opinions. See Obama's quote in the above link.) The author is the kind of conservative who values a family getting together and singing.
Basically, my point is that the attitude of phrases like "unintentionally teaching our children to consume music passively" always forget that the thing we're criticizing had the same criticisms in the past. IE, the whole concept of prerecorded music taught our parents and grandparents to consume music passively.
My three-year-old and I listen to music together, and he (sometimes) really engages with what he is hearing. He'll pick out the words and ask about what different phrases mean. I'll say who the singer or band it, what genre it is, and instrument is playing, etc. Or I'll turn it around and ask stuff like "do you want to listen to jazz, or bluegrass, or classical musical?" He's developing a pretty good ear, I think! And, of course, sometimes we gotta dance.