MUSIC APPRECIATION WEEK

This has been Music Appreciation Week in The Kid's music class. They had instructions to go listen to some old music and then bring in a few selections to share with the class. So of course, she immediately heads to my collection of Styx albums.

After recovering from the shock that my musical style preference is, apparently, NOT "classic" but simply "old," I helped her out. Besides, it gave me an excuse to listen to all that great music again.

Lady, Christopher, Mr. Christopher, Suite Madame Blue, Lorelei, Crystal Ball, The Grand Illusion, Come Sail Away, Renegade, Pieces of Eight, Babe, Boat on the River and many more. It was fun hanging out with her and listening to all that "old" music; a regular album party it was (although she kept calling them CD's).

You know . . . I can't sing a lick, and I have been asked to just listen. But we all have songs or bands that we get attached to and, for a bit, we enjoy singing along. I was that way with Styx. And I was surprised to find out that after 15 years (as a good estimate) of not hearing certain songs and albums, the lyrics readily came back to me and I could sing along. Not only the lyrics, but I knew instinctively what song was going to play next. I find that truly amazing.

And then I found that truly embarassing. As we were listening to the last song from "The Serpent is Rising," I suddenly realized what was next. And, for a moment, I was embarassed.

As I said, The Kid was to pick out a few songs to take in. All of that good music, and she becomes enamored with this one. Geez . . .

So all night she was prancing around the house singing. All I could do was smile.

And she finally settled on several . . . . less amusing . . . . songs.