We played "Stay Up Late" by the Talking Heads, which he must have liked because he went to sleep (key for a newborn).

Although, technically, it could also have been "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC, which was being played (among other rockin' tunes) during actually delivery.

BTW- he told me today that he'd like his own record player for his 3rd birthday coming up in June- couldn't be prouder! I'm thinking one of those portable ones modeled after the classic "music teacher's" TTs since they are pretty sturdy and built in speakers etc..

When the danger boys entered the world, we tried to keep the musical house flow steady as she were.

Tried to keep the sonic dynamic and gestalt of the home active and made them a part of it, but not the petite dictators of it, so to speak.

So, Jake and Max have heard it all. Mom is a Coltrane head, I tend toward chaos.

I do admit to hitting the Baroque canon a bit more, based on its structure, but we quickly morphed to include Classical and Romantic.

The most interesting music to the boys as infants/toddlers was whatever mom sang to them. The first few time she sang that I can recall them actually realizing it was her, they got the look of wonder and took a bit of a slack-jawed pose as she sang. Sort of an

Wow! Buddha, what a wonderful post

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We played "Stay Up Late" by the Talking Heads, which he must have liked because he went to sleep (key for a newborn).

Ha! How funny and cool.

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Although, technically, it could also have been "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC

Again, perfect!

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BTW- he told me today that he'd like his own record player for his 3rd birthday coming up in June- couldn't be prouder!

Aw, man, that's awesome!

Wow, Buddha, best post ever! Thanks for sharing, and thanks for including me. I'm happy to have met your family.

And as JA always says, "It's good stuff, that music!"

my young 20 somethings are always stealing my music now.

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my young 20 somethings are always stealing my music now.

As they should!

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my young 20 somethings are always stealing my music now.

What a great compliment, really.

Cheers.

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Bringing Up Baby

And here I thought you were speaking of the great movie...

Like dbowker, we played Talking Heads first: "Thank You for Sending Me An Angel" and the rest of More Songs About Buildings And Food (plus Elvis Costello, Bob Marley, Devo, Steely Dan , Keith Jarrett, Robin Trower, X, ELO, ELP, AWB, Beatles, Traffic, The Stones, Mountain, Floyd, J. Geils, Zep, Tull, Roxy Music, Marshall Tucker, Santana, Zappa, Yes, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Charles Lloyd, Mott The Hoople, The Who....the usual suspects in the late '70's.)

We had 2 boys 16 months apart. They would crawl up close to the speakers ("modded" Quadraflexes)and rock back and forth on their hands and knees, somewhat in time to the music, while eliciting little grunts and moans of musical pleasure (singing along?) that would rise and fall in volume and pitch as they completed each stroke of their movement. If one would get a little out of synch with the other they would wait and get back in time, checking each other out the corners of their eyes for rhythm and pace. This was quite an endearing scene.

When they were in their terrific 2's they'd retire to the couch together, where they would rock back and forth, "bouncing" they'd call it. They would get so tranced out with their whipping back and forth, we worried about shaken baby syndrome. If they caught us staring they would get these little sly smiles on their face, but never get embarrassed enough to stop- it was their favorite pasttime.

This bouncing became their brotherly trademark for more years than you would believe and they had full access to the oft-abused Philips 777 and Grado to spin and rock. We didn't have TV for years- we had them and the music.

It was the best time of my life. For my oldest's wedding present (he and wife were 18 and are still going strong today!) I found a completely pristine Philips 777/Grado and added it to a "starter" stereo system with Wharfedale Diamonds. He thought I refurbed the one he and his brother wore out, but stranger still, a good friend at work was liquidating his vinyl and gave it to me with a couple hundred albums for barely a song. 12 years later he still plays vinyl on it- I am so proud. And his babies are bouncing, too.

Wow, that is all so great.

Beautiful Buddha, and your story was warming as well rvance. So cool, this is so good and so important. Our little Leo is just reaching eight months and is particularly fond of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Bach piano music. The first record I spun for my little fella when he came home was Songs In The Key Of Life.

With some luck and love, we hope to have as rich an experience as you guys had bringing up your musical babies. What an important thing this is.

Cheers!
John

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Beautiful Buddha, and your story was warming as well rvance. So cool, this is so good and so important. Our little Leo is just reaching eight months and is particularly fond of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Bach piano music. The first record I spun for my little fella when he came home was Songs In The Key Of Life.

With some luck and love, we hope to have as rich an experience as you guys had bringing up your musical babies. What an important thing this is.

Cheers!
John

Leo has awesome taste in music. No surprise there!

My daughter loves Alison Krauss and that song here
(she knows all the words and twirls around the house when it comes on)
She loves Wilco(of course), Johnny Cash(duh) and her Mommy's Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn, and various other singers...

as a baby she had a steady diet of obscure classical music mixed in with the "textbook" stuff, but now she has gravitated to things with a groove/beat.

Jazz--doesnt seem to care for it(that is genetic, methinks,as I dont care for it either)

At nearly 3, she is already reading small words, couldnt be prouder..