I made a very important discovery a few weeks ago – one that will change the morning drop-off forever. Every morning we get in the car and the kids immediately want the radio on – KISS 108. Then they complain that there’s too much talking, they’re not playing the songs they want to hear, continuously ask to hear their favorites (they don’t get that I can’t control the radio), and eventually they ask me to turn on the iPod. That’s when the real fighting begins…they each want to hear specific songs, including a Christmas song about a cat who dies out in the cold but saves a mouse in the process. What a depressing way to start the day.
Finally, one day I just decided to play my own music. I hadn’t focused in on the fact that I had done away with listening to music in the car because I use that as some of my “thinking time.” That’s when I plan upcoming meetings, think about what’s on my to-do list, and pre-write blog posts. Well, I’m obviously not getting any of that done during morning drop-off, and I think it’s time to get back to sharing the ride with my favorite artists…Susan Tedeschi, the Dixie Chicks, Eva Cassidy, Bonnie Raitt…basically whatever I can sing to. My parents must have figured this out too, because I still know the words to every John Denver song, and have memorized the Carpenters Greatest Hits, Joni Mitchell – Blue, and Hey Jude (the album) by the Beatles.
In addition to helping me relax, turning on my music means that nobody is fighting over which song is played next, asking me to turn it up or down, or wanting to know what it means to brush your teeth with a bottle of Jack. If there’s anything going on in the back seat I just turn the music up loud and avoid looking in the rear-view mirror. I think the kids are actually starting to like my music, and I’m sure they like to hear me singing rather than yelling or crying. It’s a win-win.
Speaking of music, I ran across this singer on YouTube last weekend – Lisa Scinta. She has recorded a whole bunch of covers and some originals in her bathroom, and has millions of views on YouTube. I think she has a GREAT voice, and coincidentally, she is the daughter of Joe Scinta, who is a member of a musical act called The Scintas. We used to go see the Scintas multiple times every summer when we were in Alexandria Bay. They were fabulous – I just loved them. Give Lisa a listen and cross your fingers that more traditional (and lucrative) fame and fortune will come her way.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLsT86nbAVQ&fs=1&hl=en_US]