MUSIC: An Interesting Conversation about Radio That I Had with My Daughter

This is an incident that happened between my daughter and I, and I thought some of you might find it amusing.

We were in the car. My daughter and I have negotiated a deal on the music. She gets to listen to her station when we are going to somewhere, and I get to pick the music when are coming from somewhere. And if we are going to a number of places, we switch back and forth between places.

Well, we were on a way to McDonald's and actually turned down the radio.

"That song is boring," was her response when I looked at her surprised.

"I have to admit, Jen, I find most of the songs on this station boring." - Jen isn't her real name, just an alias I'm using to hide our identities on the web. :) -

To which Jen replied in a huffy manner, "That's because it's not one of your stations playing old people's music!"

"Old people's music?! My stations are ran by high schools and colleges! It's not old people's music!"

"It may not be popular young people's music," I continued, "but it is young people's music."

I, of course, ignored the fact that the people running the stations were high school and college staff members that were probably closer to my age than Jen's.

"And you know who runs your young people's station?" I asked.

Her station was originally an alternative rock station that failed and got bought out by the corporation, Clear Channel.

"No," Jen said. "Who?"

"People my age in business suits!"

And my daughter, taking after her father, showed great reserve and dignity, and yelled, "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

God, I love when irony is in my favor!

MUSIC: My Embarrassing First Song on My Mp3 Player!

I was going to write about this before, but I had a lot on my plate at the time and kind of spaced it off. Then the song came up again on my mp3 player.

You see, with my tax returns, I got myself a treat. I've been working hard and putting in a lot of hours, working 50-hour weeks, and decided to get myself something fun with part of the money. I got a 30 gig mp3 player. It's great and I can hold over 5000 of my songs on it.

So I had a whole bunch of music downloaded onto it. About a half to a third of it being along the lines of alternative, punk or electronic, but also some big band and swing, oldies, soul, r&b, classic rock as well as a bunch of world music including a some stuff I had from South Africa and its neighbors - music I picked up while I lived 6 1/2 years next door to South Africa and stuff I picked up since - plus some Celtic music, bluegrass and Americana and stuff from and influenced by southwest Asia (India, Nepal, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh).

So what song should come up first from the huge expanse of music? This collection of songs from various time periods and various places? This smörgåsbord of melodies, rhythms and harmonies?

Only, of course, the most guilty of all my musical guilty pleasures! It's not necessarily that this song is worse than some of my other musical guilty pleasures. It's just that when it came out, I was old enough to know better than to enjoy this song - but I still liked it and put it on my mp3 player!

And what song would it be? (big sigh) Mmmbop by Hansen! Yes, Mmmbop by Hansen was the first song to be played on The OlderMusicGeek's mp3 player!

Well, all I can say is at least it wasn't one of my John Denver songs! Not that I listen to a bunch of John Denver. I only have 4 songs of his I listen to!

I mean they're not nearly as numerous as the number of Neil Diamond songs I listen to!!!

Okay, I shutting up now before I mention the Glen Campbell song I have downloaded!

D'oh!