You know what’s funny? To hear someone humming “Smoke On The Water” and realize that it is your 4 year old.
I am a pretty musical person. Not in the capacity that I can play instruments or sing (there are many who can vouch for me on this!) but in that I like a wide variety of music and have a ridiculous ability to remember most of it.
I am not the kind of mom who buys KidzBop or Disney CDs to play in the car for her children. Having come from the Driver Controls the Stereo Tribe, I grew up with Dad’s country music (and I’m talking Waylon & Willie, Conway Twitty, etc. – none of this cross over Martina McBride-y stuff) or with Mom’s classical. (Rock me Amadeus? Not so much.)
So now that I drive the car, KROQ is my station of choice (has been since 1981) and I don’t care what my kids want. This music is for their own good. I thought I was schooling them well. I tried introducing them to punk and classic 70s rock. To goth and rock-a-billy and classic 80s (and by that, I mean early 80s, Dave, not this Taylor Dayne crap-ola! Just because it played in the 80s does not qualify it as 80s music!) Basically, I wanted them to have a well-rounded appreciation for all types of music. (Except for Jazz and the current R&B hip hop stuff. I can’t help them there. yuk.)
Anyway, I thought that they’ve been paying attention. (Silly me.) I thought they’ve been absorbing this musical education that’s been playing in our cars and our home for years and years. (Silly me.) You know who is getting the credit for this musical education? Rock Band and Guitar Hero.
I’m trying to just be happy that they’re finally paying attention to this music, but I must admit that it bugs me that these dumb games are getting the credit for what I’ve been trying to teach them for years.
“Mom! Have you every heard of the Stray Cats?
Of Cream? Of KISS? Pearl Jam? The Dead Kennedys? Guns N Roses? Pat Benatar? Aerosmith? Muse? Nirvana? Have you ever heard of the Rolling Stones?!”
Oh Pah-leeze. How can I feel old and current and superior and obsolete all at once? (I remember hearing about parents who were dismayed to learn that their kids didn’t realize that Paul McCartney had been in another band prior to Wings.) I guess that it doesn’t matter who teaches them the lesson, as long as they learn it. It is with a sense of humor that I grant them permission to “further their education” as they now want access to my iTunes library and would like to paw through my CD collection.
I hope they pay attention. There may be a pop quiz later.
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