Okay, maybe it’s just in my head. I love music, and my kids say I have a song for everything. Some of my fondest and most vivid memories are centered around music. To this day Country Roads makes me cry (happy tears) because it reminds me of being surrounded by family in our living room when I was about five years old.
As the youngest of five kids by a whopping nine years, I dare say I was exposed to a different type of music than your average toddler. Simon and Garfunkel was a favorite in my household, and the nickname my dad gave me, Baby Driver, apparently came from me bouncing up and down in my playpen to their song of the same name. A few years later, I have a very clear memory of an album jacket I used to sneak out of my oldest sister’s room – Alice Cooper’s Million Dollar Baby. It still gives me the occasional nightmare. Fast-forward to her daughter’s first talent show, I recall the day she told the family which song she picked to perform – “Still the One.” She meant the Shania Twain version, of course, but the picnic table full of children of the seventies all started up with a rousing rendition of, “You’re still the one, who can scratch my itch still the one, and I wouldn’t switch! We’re still havin’ fun, and you’re still the oooooonnnneeeee.” Give my siblings and me an evening together and there’s sure to be the full version of “American Pie” and “Afternoon Delight” in store for your listening pleasure. Yes, music is in my head, and in my very fondest memories.
My kids love to sing too, especially my youngest, who turned five on Flag Day. Pandora is his favorite app, and who can blame him? If you haven’t tried it, you’re missing out on the greatest gift technology has given us (okay, I may be exaggerating a tad). Here’s how it works: Say your child is like mine and loves the songs from the Disney Junior hit show “Sofia the First.” Just type that in, and Pandora will serve up those songs, plus other songs Pandora thinks might be a good fit based on that bit of knowledge. You can give each song played a thumbs up, which will make it appear more often while you’re on that channel, or a thumbs down, which will take it off of your future play list. You can set up as many different channels as you’d like, and you can skip up to six songs per hour on the free version. I’m telling you, it’s genius!
This month, we’re singing the praises of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Richmond & Tri-Cities, our local cash mobs, and the RFM calendar which is absolutely packed with musical events – patriotic concerts, big bands, musical theater, and lots more! Plus, don’t miss our feature on African safari, RVA Health Focus from MEDARVA, the latest from the Dad Zone, and so much more. Enjoy!
