I have made every effort to raise a child that is musically diverse. Someone who appreciates all types of music. Understands what makes a song a “good song” and what makes a song a “crappy song.” Someone who loves music, not because it is something to pass time with, but something that shapes ones life. Honestly – I really am out there trying to build him in my own image. Anyway – what’s wrong with having him grow up on a steady diet of classic rock, punk rock, electronica, jazz, heavy metal, etc. Nobody should be out there playing Barney tapes to their kids. It’s just criminal.
I was off to a good start. By the time Ian was in kindergarten he could sing along with “God Save the Queen” and “Purple Haze.” You could play a game of musical trivia with him, and I’m betting he could hang with most adults by the time he was 8. I always find it comical that when we are in the car with other people – friends or relatives – Ian will be picking out what goes in the CD player. He will be in the back seat, and will shout out “Dad, can you put on The White Stripes?” or “Dad, can you put on some Stevie Ray Vaughn?” What happens next is usually the guest in the car will start to laugh, and then say to me “what are you doing to that kid?” The answer is really “nothing.” I am just exposing my child to music – lots of it. Lots of different stuff too. The idea being the more he listens, the more he will find stuff he likes (granted most of it, if not all of it, is rooted in what I like – not really a choice in the selection most of the time).
So, as with any other time someone is in the car, Christine was a passenger when we were driving someplace. She had an idea that Ian loves music, but it didn’t hit her until this ride. On the radio was Blues Image’s “Ride Captain, Ride.” She looks into the rearview mirror, and watches Ian sing along – word for word – with the song. Here is this absolutely obscure song from the 70’s, that lots of people know, but have no clue who it’s by. As with everyone else she starts to laugh. The next song – J.Giles “Musta Got Lost” gets the same reaction. Followed by Rare Earth – “I Want To Celebrate.” Ian singing along word for word with each song.
I have done my job, and I have done it well. Not only can Ian sing along with Iron Maiden, he can air guitar to Voodoo Chile, and drum along to Trouble with Dreams. He is just as comfortable listening to Blue Train as to Highway to Hell. Heck, his favorite song at the moment is Low Spark of High-heeled boys – he not only can sing along word for word, he has all the instrument parts down cold. He loves his music, and he loves good music.
But…….
Friggen Peer Pressure! Society. MTV. Shit radio. I don’t know. Somewhere along the line he also – and I’m going with a combination of all of the above – started to like Fergie, Chamillionaire, Akon.....basically all that is bad in music. I have this theory that there must be a balance. That there is this big pile of shit on one end, and this big pile of good stuff on the other end. For every Good, The Bad, and the Queen there is a Daniel Powter. For every Wilco there is a Justin Timberlake. There needs to be this balance so that we can appreciate what is good. I always had this fear in the back of my head that there would be a chance that Ian might stray. That he might pick up a song or two that could be considered a guilty pleasure, but that would be it. Not a whole stack of bad stuff. Heck, I’ll admit – I have a few of them. Kelly Clarkson? She is on my guilty pleasure list. Granted not her whole catalog, just a song or two. A few. That should be it, but he straight up likes whole catalog's by some really bad bands.
Ian though, while keeping it real with loving Traffic, has crossed over to the dark side with his love of Fergie, All American Rejects, and Fall Out Boy. I understand Fergie somewhat – with her lovely lady humps and all – but I can’t for the life of me understand the rest. Except, that I knew it would happen. I knew that sooner or later he would be singing “Cause I had a bad day” – giving me a bad day. It had to happen with peer pressure and all. I just didn't want to see it coming. I made every effort. Keep a steady diet of amazing music in the car. Play the best stuff at home. Still, it finds it’s way on to the computer’s iTunes. Coming from under his door. I hear it at his school when I’m picking him up at the end of the day. It’s on TV. It's friggen everywhere.
With all that, as I sit hear and type this – The Flaming Lips on my iTunes playing a cover of Black Sabbath's War Pigs – Ian is rocking out. He is sitting here comparing it to the Black Sabbath original. The fact that he appreciates it for it’s effort, and totally digs the original, gives me hope. I might have to deal with Justin Timberlake telling me about how sexy he thinks he is, but at least Ozzy still has a place in my house. Maybe someday he will cross back to the good side, and Fergie will only be a guilty pleasure. Just the same - I guess I will continue to make Slayer mix tapes for him to take to school. You know, a little Reign in Blood cheers everyone up.
