I love music.
I always have done.
I love all kinds of music from any era (although, in all honesty, I'm kind of struggling with anything more recent than 2010).
My eldest daughter is thirteen years old. The modern music she is subjected to is poor - in my humble opinion.
I feel it is my duty as a loving parent to try and instil in her some of the music greats - so that she has a quality foundation to build from…..The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Prince, The Doors, The Smiths, The Jam.....
You know, the oldies but goldies.
I've tried introducing songs and artists to her for years, and she just isn't interested.
I feel like I'm failing as a parent.
I've kept hold of hundreds of CDs, to hand down to my kids, but we don't even have a cd player in the house anymore, and when I showed my ten-year-old daughter a cd, she asked me, "What's that?”
Recently though, my eldest daughter moved schools, and her new school is an hour's drive away.
Every so often I drive her to school so she can wake up a bit later than when she catches the bus.
In the car, she's tired and doesn't want to talk much.
She messages her friends and watches Tik Tok videos.
So, I just play whatever music I want to play.
Every so often she'll check the car display to see what the name of the song that's playing is.
That’s when I know I'm getting her.
If she Shazam’s the song, I know I’ve finally cracked it.
The other day, she was wandering around the house singing Tears For Fears song “Head Over Heals”. I asked her how she knew the song, she said, “I dunno, because I’ve heard it in your car.”
I'm the DJ in the car, and I'm learning how to fill the dance floor in my daughter's heart.
When words fail, or when it’s not the best time to talk, music is the language we speak together.
Here are a few things I felt were worth sharing this week:
This Alan Watts film, “Finding What You Love To Do” is all you need to get you on the path today.
This article on the 100 Greatest Children’s Books of All Time, is a fantastic resource. It was compiled according to 177 book experts from 56 Countries.
I love these sculptures made from fabric by artist Benjamin Shine.
I’ve been blown away by the new album by Depeche Mode, Memento Mori. It’s incredible that a band that’s been making music for over 40 years can still be so relevant and innovative. This album is up there with some of their best work ever.
This article is a great introduction to the work and the mind of Aldous Huxley. Huxley wrote about drugs, religion and spirituality before many other people were brave enough to do so. His book, The Doors Of Perception, is where Jim Morrisson took the name for his band The Doors.
If you haven’t watched the WHAM! documentary on Netflix yet, then check it out. Regardless of what you thought of the pop duo back in the day, the documentary is an emotional journey back to the colourful, innocence of the early 80s, and is a celebration of unadulterated, unashamed, pop music.
Classic but often forgotten tracks from 1979 that I revisited this week.
Thanks for reading!
My new book, B7965 - A boy called Szmulek: A man named Sam, is out NOW!. It’s a powerful memoir of my unexpected year-long journey with a Holocaust survivor. I’m super proud of it and very passionate about sharing Sam’s incredible story and getting it out into the world. I truly believe this is a very important story and one that the world needs to hear more than ever right now.
Also, if you like great music, please check out my radio station, The Buzz Mcr. We don’t do ad-breaks, news, weather, and travel. The music never stops. We have a thing called our Three Song Trust Policy, it’s like the old Pepsi challenge only with music. Try us, I think you’ll like us.
With love
Rik
x
Lovely - really touched by your lines about connecting with your daughter through music. I tried to connect my lad with the music I love but he's not that much into music. I took him and his (then) girlfriend (now wife) to a Doves gig. He spent 30 minutes just ignoring it, more interested in the picnic. Then I saw his foot tapping ... it didn't stop - I said nothing but the memory fills my heart. I hope he remembers too. Your daughter will, for sure