The Music Woman

I have never been much of a popular music listener. I remember my choir teacher in high school asking me what singer I enjoy. I answered Cindy Lauper. He was surprised. The truth was that she was the only singer I could think of at the time. As I have stated before, I just don't understand a lot of what they are saying, so it really doesn't do me much good to listen to the music. My boys have mp3 players and record music off the computer. Actually, they don't download from sites, but instead they get everyone to be quiet and they record the songs that play on YouTube. That probably isn't legal. Hm. Anyway, I went upstairs the other day to listen to what they were recording. I couldn't understand a word of what they were saying (it wasn't singing). #1 told me he didn't know what they were saying either, but it had a good beat. True. Anyway, I suggested that they only record songs that they understand. #2 was listening to something the other day with his headphones. I asked to listen and he got defensive. "It isn't bad." I didn't say it was bad. "Well, why do you want to listen? It's just the Jonas Brothers." Now, first of all, I don't know who the Jonas Brothers are, and second of all, I likely won't understand what they are saying. But the main point is that I am the parent and I should know what my kids are listening to. Right? I listened and I still can't tell you what he was listening to. So all of this plays into the following conversation. We have started receiving the Wall Street Journal and the boys are required to read it half an hour a day. Yesterday, #1 says, "I didn't know Michael Jackson died. Was he a singer?" Yes. "What did he sing?" So I sang a few bars of ABC-123. "Oh, that's from the 70's isn't it?" asked #2. I said I wasn't sure but yes somewhere around there. He also sang Thriller. No, they hadn't heard of that. Well that pretty much used up my musical repertoire, so I said he also was the one to invent the "moon walk" dance. "Wow. He must have been a great musician if he invented that," responded #1 incredulously. I don't think my kids know any more about popular music than I do. ---------- In a few weeks #1 will go to State Congress with 4-H. One of the nights there will be a dance. He dances about like he knows songs and what they say. His favorite song right now is "Yoda" by Weird Al. (I just had to ask Hubby who sings that.) I hope everyone is gentle when he breaks into song and dance at the party.