Teach them to recognize classics
Every morning I give my nine year-old daughter a lesson on the rock music that has inspired me throughout my life, tackling one artist each day. It might be the only cultural capital that I can hand down to her! While she’s eating breakfast, I ask Alexa to play a specific song, and then I tell my daughter why I think the music is so amazing, who the artist is, and, too often, how they died (lots of overdose stories). “Why,” I ask her, “is ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ one of the most important songs in rock? Listen. At the very end of the long break in the middle of the song, you will hear the most iconic scream in rock history, followed immediately by one of the most iconic lyrics: ‘Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.’ What do you think he’s talking about?” One morning while I was getting dressed for work, I heard her say to Alexa, “Play ‘Black Dog” by Led Zeppelin.” We’re making progress!
Chad T, Arlington, VA