My kids are passionate about music.
In fact, the very first time I felt my oldest move in the womb, was when I was sitting on the couch listening to the Glen Miller Orchestra play "Moonlight Serenade".
I was certain that it was a sign that my child would be as taken with music as I am.
Right then and there, I made it my mission to foster that love in any way that I could.
I got a little giddy thinking of all the greats that I wanted them to experience - Ella Fitzgerald, Coltrain, Lennon, Hendrix, Vivaldi, David Bowie, Sting, Prince, Credence Clearwater, Tina Turner, Johny Cash, Mozart - I love it all. I'm crazy about folk music, singer songwriter tunes, classical, country, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s - there's just so much to love!
So, I can say with certainty that though I did not push them to take up instruments (no really, I promise!), I did my best to inspire that desire.
And then something happened that I hadn't quite banked on...
My middle boy got a radio for Christmas, and after much twisting and turning, found two stations that he loves:
Rap, and Heavy Metal.
Dear God.
He had to go and pick the exactly TWO genres that I don't much care for.
It's been a constant battle - me asking him to turn it down, him asking me for the 10th time, "Come listen to this song Mom! It's SO great!"
I feel like I'm walking this line - on the one hand not wanting to squash his little creative spirit just because I don't care for his tastes, and on the other hand feeling the need to weed out stuff that I just don't think he's mature enough to grasp.
I tried to explain to him that a lot of the songs he thinks "sound neat" have lyrics that are not appropriate for him. He said, "But I don't listen to the words, mama. I just, you know, FEEL the music."
I had a flashback to when I tried to tell my grandmother that there was nothing at all wrong with Salt and Peppa's "Push It." (which i believe was on the same album as Let's Talk about S*X"
I had a flashback to when I tried to tell my grandmother that there was nothing at all wrong with Salt and Peppa's "Push It." (which i believe was on the same album as Let's Talk about S*X"I clearly remember thinking that I just liked the way the song sounded. I didn't care what it said or what it meant.
Still.
So, I told him that we'd work together to find some rockin' and rappin' (and kid friendly) kind of songs to download and make into a CD for him.
You guys got any ideas?
