elizabite:

essdogg:

This is the etherreal end of “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens. The boy has decided that it, along with “Underdog” by Spoon and “Campus” by Vampire Weekend, are his favorite songs and we must listen to them every day before and after school. On one hand, I feel like a douchey hipster dad who’s teaching his son to be a snob. On the other hand, when he does something like this, I just sit back and enjoy his enjoyment. Plus, it’s a lot better than those Australian dudes who wear the brightly-colored shirts and heavy eye makeup.

(reblogging without video)

This is spectacular.  I was just talking about kids listening to “adult music” the other day.  I don’t think you’re a douchey hipster dad, teaching your son to be a snob.  I think that if really given the chance kids really will appreciate all kinds of wonderful music, not just silly kid songs or soundtracks to “The Backyardigans.”

My son is currently enjoying David Bowie.  Of course his love began because he heard that “song from ‘Shrek’” one day in my mom’s car, so we listen to “Changes” a lot.  We recently branched out to “Space Oddity.”  It is breathtaking to hear this little, tiny four-year-old voice singing “Ground control to Major Tom” in the backseat.  The kid is memorizing all the lyrics.  And we talk about his favorite parts of the song and why they are his favorite parts.  It opens up this great dialogue about music, instruments, and vocals that we wouldn’t have if we were listening to “Go, Diego, Go.”

We also listen to the “Slumdog Millionaire” soundtrack a lot.  Because the song titles had no meaning to him, he started making up titles.  My favorite is “Ringa, Ringa,” which he renamed “Tickle Fairies.”  Listen to it and tell me that the beginning does not sound exactly like you would expect tickle fairies to sound.

It’s just amazing to see how he wraps his head around music and the world around him.

Nothing brings more joy to my heart that hearing my son sing along to Magical Mystery Tour in the back seat or watching him air drum to Spiderland.  When I was 5 my mom gave me Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.  I have been saving and sharing the music that shaped my world and changed my life with my son his entire life and it’s been awesome.