DIY musical taste

photo by dominic east

MUSICAL TASTE BY EXPOSURE
our family revolves around music a lot of the time.  when wren was born we started being exposed to the tragedy that is 'kids' music'. with the exception of a couple of records (i.e. They Might Be Giants, Here Comes Science), i avoided listening to it.  after all, we were dealing with a baby that didn't give a fig about what was playing as long as we were making faces and smiling at her.  as she grew into a toddler we continued to play whatever we were listening to at the time, and to our surprise, she became obsessed with one indie rock gem after another. i'm convinced that most kids are pretty agreeable and that if you expose them to music that you love, they will love it too - especially if the tunes you choose have a bit of a pop sensibility and catchy melodies. the only drawback is that once you pique their interest, they want to hear the same song over and over.

THE REPETITION PROBLEM
for most of us, it doesn't matter how much you love GBV's, 'Hot Freaks', at a certain point you'll be ready to move on.  the trick is finding a way to constantly expand their list of favorites.  after some experimentation (you know i like to get science-y), i've found that if i put a little effort into the way in which i introduce new music, wren absorbs it right away.  here is my strategy:

• relate - relate the song to an experience in context. for example, with all the rain lately, wren and i have been wearing a lot of tall boots.  while stomping through the halls of preschool, i told her about Nancy Sinatra's, 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin''. [sidebar - nancy sinatra was a total fox in her day].
• engage - when you get a chance to play a new song, pick out a lyric, instrument, or style that you think your child will be interested in.  including any simple tidbit from 'this song talks about FIRE!' to 'Johnny Cash's voice is SO DEEP!' before you wow her with 'Ring of Fire' will definitely up the odds of her loving the song straight away. it sounds kind of boneheaded, but it is literally like musical mind bullets.
• repeat - as your kid becomes a Guided By Voices superfan, endulge him/her in some repetition.  you have to compromise on this a bit because kids learn through repetition.  just don't get carried away - repeat some tracks while introducing new ones - this will help your kid become more flexible and you'll expand the repertoire in a way you can stomach.

A FEW FROM OUR CURRENT PLAYLIST
Guided by Voices, 'Game of Pricks'
Junip, 'In Every Direction'
The Shins, 'Kissing The Lipless'
The Hollows, 'Trains'
MGMT, 'Electric Feel'
Tegan and Sara, 'Walking With A Ghost'
The Flaming Lips, 'Do You Realize??'
Best Coast, 'Crazy for You'
The Big Pink, 'Dominos'
Sonny & The Sunsets, 'Too Young to Burn'

with just the littlest bit of encouragement, wren is ecstatic to listen to the music we love.  and we are ecstatic to NOT listen to kooky (read: creepy) adults singing wacky songs about dancing and whatnot.


xo,
jasper hearts wren