By Kim Jennings
A recent conversation with my son went something like this:
Little J: “There’s this girl in my class, and she dances crazy like this! (arms flailing, lacking rhythm) She likes someone I don’t even like!!”
Me (thinking it’s a teachable moment): “Who? And why do you think you don’t like someone?”
J: “She likes Justin Bieber (face puckering). I don’t even like him. And she doesn’t even like YOUR music.”
Me (still thinking it’s a great teachable moment): “Well…that’s okay. Not everyone likes the same things. Some people like Justin Bieber’s music and some don’t. Some people like my music, and some don’t. And that’s okay.” (Trying to reframe the question) So, what other music do YOU like?”
J (thinking): “Well you of course. And Dan and Levi, Birch Beer Records. And Ruthann. And Lori.”
Yes!!! All the people he just mentioned are “mommy’s music friends” – real, live, local singer-songwriters he’s met before. People who are the real thing, pushing their music out in a grassroots way, making music that matters, and doing what they believe in – the way that works for them.
It’s too soon to tell what this will mean for little J in the long run. For me, once I discovered FM radio and learned how to tape songs I liked by holding a cassette tape recorder up to the radio speakers when I was a wee young thing, I rebelled against the music my folks “made me” listen to. But now, as an adult, I love how those influences come through in every thread of my own songwriting. I hear the Irish folk music roots like Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers in my singing, and I can tell that there are ‘70s singer-songwriter influences like James Taylor in my writing.
Little J is only in 1st grade – but if his top 5 musicians are local musicians, I think I’m doing a good job exposing him to the power of REAL music, creativity, and expression. And the idea that you can follow your passion. And I’m very proud of that.
Start ‘em young. Who knows what will happen?