Hot funk, cool punk, even if it's old junk...It's still rock n roll to me

Remember before you ever had a baby and you had all kinds of ideas about the way you would raise your child? Remember you would think of all the things you felt like you didn't have as a kid and you vowed it would be different when you were a parent? Not that I lacked anything in the way of physical possessions or emotional needs as a child. But there were things I noticed in other families that didn't play a role in mine and I felt like I missed out. Namely...Music.

My best friend growing up was named Rachel and she lived up the street from me. I would spend many days and nights reveling in the things she had in her family or at her house that I didn't have in mine. She had a lot of siblings, I didn't. She had a pool, I didn't. She had a dog, I didn't. She had a huge library of VHS tapes categorized by age appropriateness and themes, I didn't. And the one thing I know I didn't really pay attention to as a kid but recognized later upon reflection, she knew all about the music her parents liked and played as a young couple. The Carpenters, Air Supply, Boston, Chicago, ABBA, Neil Diamond....etc. And I didn't.


When I got to an age where music become a big part of my life I remember thinking that one day when I had a child she would know all about what kinds of music I listened to while she grew up. She would later hear that music and immediately feel nostalgic of me as her mother, or Mitchell and I as her parents. Because if you asked me what kinds of music my parents enjoyed when I was a kid...I could probably name The Beach Boys for Dad and Barbara Streisand for Mom? Other than those two I can't really remember having a clear idea about what their musical tastes consisted of. That last sentence was pretty bad english/grammer...oh well. I know Mom also seemed to listen to alot of Andrew Llyod Webber showtunes and I definitely have a clear association with talk radio and my dad.


I guess if I had anything close to music conjuring up childhood nostalgia it would be thanks to my older brother. If I hear U2, Depeche Mode, Erasure, Tony Tony Tone, The Proclaimers...Well Eric in his pegged pants, Bolos, and wanna be Bono black cowboy hat driving around in his talking brown Nissan Maxima comes to mind. And or course we can't forget about the Bugle Boy Sweaters and Arnette sunglasses, no that would be a tragedy to forget those gems of early nineties fashion! I guess having a sibling 6 years older than you kinda makes them in a way as influential as a parent. I still listen to U2 and Depeche Mode while my sellout brother moved to Idaho and has became a country fan....lol!

At any rate I always figured I would play the kind of music I enjoyed for Olivia. Then when Olivia was born I realized that alot of the music I enjoy wasn't something necessarily appropriate for a baby to listen to...Radiohead, The Violent Femmes, Queen, Janis Joplin...not always a soothing influence on a baby and the name of the game as a new parent tends to be SOOTHE, SOOTHE, and more SOOTHING. But lately as Mitchell and I seem to be in the possession of a 2010 Toyota Prius with all the bells and whistles...including a CD player and MP3 player and Olivia being older now...playing her the kinds of music I love seem to be realistic. (Run on sentence there). And no we didn't buy a new car per say. Last year with the whole "Cash for Clunkers" program Mitch traded in his old BMW for a new car for his parents, they would give him money for the discount they got for his old car. Since it was Mitch's "Clunker" and the Prius would be for his dad both of their names ended up on the paperwork and ownership of the Prius. Well long story short Mitch sold the truck, his VW Van broke down, my car is a ticking time bomb and his parents decided they didn't need three cars.


SOooooooo Mitch took over the Prius. Since Mitch is gone out of town for work 5 days a week, I drive the Prius more than anyone else. Its amazing the freedom of mind that comes with a car that I don't have to second guess every weird noise or constantly be checking the temperature gauge. A car that has AC and doesn't feel like "Mr Toad's Wild Ride" when traveling at a speed above 25 MPH.


So I am now starting to feel excited about making special playlists of music I love for Olivia to listen to and grow up with. I figure we will leave out The Radiohead, Violent Femmes and punk music for now. We will start slow, happy and mellow. Cat Stevens sounds like a good place to begin.....happy face!

"Ohhhh baby baby it's a wild world"