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UltraNormal

The Music Max

This started out as a response to Katie's comment from Kevin's most recent post, but I decided to make this a post on its own.

I have a friend who only listens to kids music in the car, but I refuse to do that. The car is my domain. I listen to what I want and just turn the station if I hear an inappropriate song. When my oldest was 2, I realized he was singing along to "No Sleep Til Brooklyn." Apparently the radio had played it enough that he knew the words. We sang it together at the top of our lungs. I knew then that I was either a really great mom or a really bad one.

A couple of months later we went to visit my parents and I roped them into singing too, cuz how could they say no to their adorable, little, 2 year old grandson? One of the highlights of my life is seeing my 50-ish year old parents singing the Beastie Boys.

posted September 13, 2005 8:14 AM by Jen | , , | | permalink

Comments:

  • ari said:

    We don't listen to much kids music either--they get that at school, and besides, I think of them more as "songs you sing acapella" rather than "songs you listen to on a machine."

    They are great springboards for conversations now that Julien is older. He'll ask, "Mom, what's this song about?" and I'll have to think of a one-sentence answer on the fly. By now, he realizes that most songs are about love. kinda.

  • Heather said:

    I've always thought it was great that you didn't listen to just kids music around Max. Most kids music seems rather dull, like it's trying to pander to kids rather than challenging them to think and process more complex tunes. Sure, the Beastie Boys aren't Mozart or anything, but you gotta have a nice middle ground between Barney and Beethoven. When I was a kid, I was really grateful that Kevin and Tim were older and exposed me to more of their music - I was proud to be the only kid in my kindergarten who knew who Ray Charles was, or the Beatles, or Phil Collins. Who's to say a kid can't or shouldn't rock out?

  • Heather said:

    I've always thought it was great that you didn't listen to just kids music around Max. Most kids music seems rather dull, like it's trying to pander to kids rather than challenging them to think and process more complex tunes. Sure, the Beastie Boys aren't Mozart or anything, but you gotta have a nice middle ground between Barney and Beethoven. When I was a kid, I was really grateful that Kevin and Tim were older and exposed me to more of their music - I was proud to be the only kid in my kindergarten who knew who Ray Charles was, or the Beatles, or Phil Collins. Who's to say a kid can't or shouldn't rock out?

  • The Mighty Tim said:

    Rock on! I feel the same way. In fact, my little 2 year old Samantha is so conditioned that when we get in the car half of the time she says, "Weezer song!" 'Beverly Hills' is her favorite off the new album. I just wish I could have seen mom and dad singing the Beastie Boys.

  • Jonathan Morris said:

    I don't have kids, myself, so the kids' music thing is maybe moot for me (Although I've identified an assortment of TMBG and Tom Waits songs I'd want to put on any kids' album) BUT -- I gotta say that Kidz Bop is the single most hilarious thing invented in the last two-hundred years. I've got the KB version of "Float On" on permanent rotation on my mp3 playlist ...

  • Steve said:

    Money makin' money money makin' super disco - disco breakin' Come on mom, sing along!

    left right left right, see? Start and land on the balls of your feet.

    The beastie boys sure are good.

    bold
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    I don't have time for links.

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