Music Exposure

I am obsessed with music.

I love to blast the tunes at my house.  Whether I'm feeling like dancing or crying, I use music to set the tone in our home.

My goal as a music nut is to expose my children to as many kinds of genres as possible.  I want their music palate to be broad.  That way when they get to the age that they start picking their own tunes to listen to they won't be so narrow minded.

I've got the worlds weirdest music list on my ipod.  I've got everything from old school jazz to swing, pop to rap, classical and show tunes, pepper in a little 80's and don't forget the rock and roll roots.  My "suggestions" list on itunes is a crazy miss match of music.  They aren't sure which category to put me under.

I love to see what they like.  Rugs was obsessed with Alannis Morrisett for a whole summer.  Em loves Steve Miller Band, Z was riding the Hannah Montana train for a few months and B just wants anything that she can dance to like Vanilla Ice.  They all get really excited when I announce I've downloaded new music to my ipod.  I love when my kids can identify random songs on the radio. It gives me a little happy bubble.

Although, some of them are better at it than others.  When Rugby started taking piano lessons his teacher would give him the notes to a song and have him guess the song of the week.

He had an entire week to guess it and he was sweating it from the minute he hopped back in the car.

Rugs:  Mom, can you just tell me what it is?

Me:  No, that would take away the fun of guessing.

Rugs:  Well, I have no idea what it is!  Please Mom!

Me:  OK, pass me the song and I'll hum it to you-- no words.  I'm sure you'll be able to guess it.

(I hum twinkle twinkle little star and stare at him trying to pass the answer to him with my mind.)

Rugs (with a duh look on his face):  Ummm.... Michael Jackson?

Me:  Uh, no.

(I hum louder.)

Rugs:  Ummm... The Beatles?

Me:  Not even close.

(I try singing it with words...)

Rugs:  I don't know Mom, all I can think is Michael Jackson!  What am I going to do?

Me:  It's twinkle twinkle buddy.  Seriously (I try humming it again)?

Rugs:  (blink blink)  Whaaat?  Don't look at me like that!

Lets just say, it's a work in progress.