I am slowly going crazy... one, two, three, four, five, six... switch!

I like music. In fact, I love music. Heck, I wouldn't be a music teacher if I didn't. But here's the problem. My kids love music too. Well, technically, that is not a problem, except for the fact they love to listen to the same thing 7987987958279857923875 times on repeat. My sister would claim, and in fact will claim, that this is genetic. She will ardently declare, to anyone who will listen, that her little sister as a child figured the best way to torture her was to put our mother's only ABBA record on the turntable, count the grooves until I found the one which housed Nina Pretty Ballerina, gently lift the arm and set it down perfectly in the right spot, and dance around the living room. Repeatedly. And to be honest, she's right. That happened. I could work that thing before I could tie my shoes. True story. I'm not sure why this didn't drive my parents absolutely crazy. Maybe because every radio in the house was turned up louder than the stereo blasting CBC shows (likely Peter Gzowski's Morning Side, or A is for Ardvark, or Finkleman's 45's) all day long. They couldn't really hear it. That is genetic too- go visit my Nonna on any given day, or my parents for that matter, and CBC is what you will hear.

Here's my problem though. I'm surrounded by kids' music 24 hours a day. At school, and at home. At any given moment there is at least five green and speckled frogs, a rooster under a greenwood tree, an Auntie Monica and a dog named rover, not to mention that damned beluga whale, stuck somewhere in my cerebral cortex. And you wonder why I'm a complete macadamia? All this is torturous. My dentist is always on my case because I clench my teeth at night. She has a theory that all teachers are clenchers. It is not the teaching, it is the kiddie music. I wake up with the theme song to Sesame Street going through my head on some insane repeat.

Now, music enthusiasts that we are (Ethan is a music teacher himself), we've gone to great lengths to impose our musical taste on our children. Matteo has LOVED Paul Simon from a very young age (seriously, I caught the kid singing Stranded in a Limousine when he was two... "there was a mean individual, had a heart like a bowne...". He loves Great Big Sea. There was a time when I thought I'd have an awful lot of explaining to do once he entered kindergarten. I'm not sure his teacher would find his rousing rendition of the mermaid song ("Her hair was green with seaweed, her skin was blue and pale, her face it was a work of art, I loved that girl with all my heart, but I only liked the upper part, I did not like the tail") quite as adorable as we did. Not to mention his enthusiasm for Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy (he's always been a buckeroo at heart). Ay. We are bad parents. Lucky for us our conversations about where things are appropriate seem to have sunk in.  He's also a pretty avid Beatles fan, Adele fan, and he adores Dolly Parton's Jolene. Really what's not to love about Dolly Parton? And there is currently a great amount of love for the music of New Orleans in the house- the Dukes of Dixieland have been requested more than once. Then there is jazz... always popular around here. And the more scat the better.

Now don't get me wrong, he doesn't simply listen to inappropriate music geared for adults. We do our fair share of Raffi, Steve Roslonek, Disney soundtracks, Putamayo Playgrounds. And I encourage that too. In fact, I prefer it to a certain extent- I'm quite convinced that the amount of listening to this sort of thing (Sharon Lois and Bram, Charlotte Diamond, Fred Penner, Raffi), geared particularly for children to sing comfortably, that I did certainly was responsible for my development of a good ear and great pitch. It is super important that kids learn to sing in their range. Comes in so handy later. But I have to admit, there must be something about it, that is only audible to the adult ear, that makes is so darned annoying after a while. Maybe it is like those sound devices some public places use that emit sound a frequency only audible to the teenage ear  to discourage loitering.

Imagine my absolute delight then, when this week I discovered Elizabeth Mitchell's album, You are My Little Bird. My good friend Laura gave this album to me, probably two years ago, and somehow it got buried in the stacks. I discovered it this week, and immediately put it on for the kids. What a gem! It is like the best folk music ever, but done in sweet endearing ways for children. They love it. I love it. It is honestly one of the best albums I've heard for kids. If you have a child, run, don't walk, and get this. You won't regret it. Included on this wonderful collection are cover versions of Bob Marley tunes, and Neil Diamond tunes. Plus a few culturally diverse tracks that are really fun too. This might be on the top of my list of things to give as baby gifts... it ages well and will not make the parents' teeth hurt. Who could ask for anything more?!

What are you all listening to with your kids? Whatever it is, I hope it doesn't drive you nuts. But when it does, just remember, it's for a good cause- it's all in the name of music.

If you are wondering, that book is a Paul Simon collection.