Music in Our House

Music in our house is an adventure.

I have very eclectic tastes. I was influenced by the 60's (my parent's music), the late 70's and 80's pop music, traditional and contemporary Christian music, instrumental music (from band--both jazz and classical), and because I'm a word person, I love anything with great lyrics. My latest favorites are Casting Crown's The Altar and the Door, Mercy Me's new album, Norah Jones, Harry Conick, Jr., and Michael Card. I can also dance to the boys music--most of it, anyway.

Josh, being a teenage now, has been fun to watch as he develops his own musical taste. He loves all the Disney pushed musicians--Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, and lately Aly and AJ. He also loves TobyMac, Relient K, and anything else with a serious beat. His tastes are a little young among those of his peers, something for which I am quite proud and am encouraging him in, since he has LOTS of time to discover more mature music, and I'm not in a hurry to see him struggle with the compromise.

Stephen loves much of the same thing Josh likes. It's kind of weird hearing him singing Relient K with all of their angst-filled lyrics, but I'm OK with some of it. His music tastes tend to be a little broader--he really liked my Harry Conick, Jr. Christmas CD. Like Josh, he likes an uptempo beat.

AJ tries hard to follow in his brothers' footsteps, but he is a little more challenged because he doesn't have the fancy MP3 player to listen to, and his brothers are usually a little unwilling to share with him their CD's. Sometimes the little boy in him still rules, and I have to listen to endless repetitions of the Veggie Tales sing Michael W. Smith, or Goofy sings dance tunes, but that's OK. I know his interest in these simple things will vanish soon enough, and this poor kid is already growing up much faster than his brothers did--so of course, I encourage more "little kid" music.

So you see, you could come to our house and hear about anything. You might even catch me on a reminicent day when I've pulled out the old record player to listen to The Mama's and the Papa's, Shaun Cassidy, the Partridge Family, or old, old Amy Grant. Wouldn't that be a treat?

Don't Try to Please Me . . . Please!

It's 3am and I can't sleep. I hate nights like this. I have spent the last hour or so "surfing" Walmart's music downloads. This is the order of what I looked at and listened to:

1. David and the Giants (Rats! NOBODY remembers them anymore!)


2. Randy Travis


3. George Strait


4. Kenny Chesney (don't particularly like this guy, just wanted to see if I knew any of his songs)


5. Rascal Flatts


6. Tim McGraw


7. Garth Brooks


8. Harry Connick, Jr.


9. Bobby Darrin


10. Dean Martin


11. The Sound of Music (They actually have TWO movie soundtracks to choose from!)


12. Oklahoma (Is that REALLY Wolverine [Hugh Jackman] singing "Surrey with the Fringe on Top?")


13. Carousel (Doesn't ANYBODY remember Shirley Jones and Gordon McRae???)


14. Yul Brenner (Gosh! Don't these guys do any other roles? I only found the original Broadway Cast, but I was looking for the movie.)


15. South Pacific (at least some movie soundtracks still make it in there!)


16. Topol (for Fidder on the Roof, but I only found the original London cast, and even then only one song. I want the movie soundtrack!)


17. Camelot (but I got mad 'cause they only had one, and IT wasn't the movie soundtrack either!)


18. Rogers and Hammerstein


19. Gershwin show tunes


20. The Mamas and the Papas


21. Sonny and Cher


22. The Carpenters

Throw in a little Reggae, some Heavy Metal, and some Bach or Beethoven and I'd be "well-rounded!" Incidently, the boys and I had some free downloads, which we used a couple days ago on lots of Christian music, so that's why I was exploring other . . . errr . . . interests, tonight.

I'm not sure which is weirder: the odd list of music, or the fact that I was doing this at three in the morning!

Hmmmm . . .

. . . AJ just asked me if he could take his CD player with us to the New Year's Eve party we're going to. I told him as long as he has earphones he can.

He said,"Well, duh Mom! I can't take the BIG one with me!!!"

Why NOT? You don't mind torturing ME with it!!!! Shouldn't we share the Veggie Tales with ALL of our friends?

Hmmm . . . is there a way to add songs to my blog? That way all of you could enjoy Veggie Tales!!

(Help! I think I'm going crazy!!!)

A Note to Michael W. Smith

Dear Mr. Smith,

Are you aware that the Veggie Tales are trying to assume your noteable position as the fine singer of "You Are Holy?" Personally, I don't think they do it so well, but I just thought I'd warn you that your song is being warped by things that should be in my refrigerator crisper. I'd be concerned buddy. If word of this gets out, there will be no Worship Again, Again CD for you! We'll refuse to buy it for fear the Veggie Tales might get hold of it! So if you own the rights to this song . . . or any others, you'd better think twice before signing on that dotted line again!

Very sincerely,
Lisa

P.S. By the way, thanks for giving them "Friends" too. I'm ever in your debt. Want to spend a couple weeks with a 6-year-old Veggie Tales song nut? Maybe it'd make you think twice about selling those produce-aisle-crooners rights to any other songs!!!

Where ARE my earplugs?

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! I have heard the Veggie Tales sing "Forever" about a thousand billion times now! And do the HAVE to sing "Better Is One Day in Your House"? I really loved that song. It's almost as bad as having to listen to them sing "Friends" back in March when AJ got the camping CD. But now? They're singing praise songs!!!! What WAS I thinking before Christmas . . . er . . . I mean . . . what was Santa thinking? He and I are going to have to have a talk.

Or maybe I'll send AJ to entertain him with Veggie Tales sing High School Musical.

OK, now there's another hot button for me. (We watched HSM on DVD about thirty times in the first three days we had it!)

Somebody SAVE me! I need a chick flick! . . . And a portable CD player with headphones for AJ!