What Is "Children's Music"?

In the 9/6/07 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, with Maroon 5 on the cover, lead singer Adam Levine's mother makes a provocative statement:

"I wouldn't let him listen to kid's music in the car. I was playing The Beatles, Paul Simon, Fleetwood Mac."

What struck me about this is that whenever I would get in the car to go for a drive with my own family, we also listened to the popular music of the day: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jesus Christ Superstar or whatever was on the radio. I don't remember being exposed to that era's equivalent of The Wiggles, Barney, and Raffi.

So I wondered how much does this make a difference? Does this (or does this not) affect a child's musical development? It would be easy to say that listening to too much Wiggles might dampen musical creativity., Yet some of the criticisms that can be made of children's music can be said of pop and rock: it is repetitive, harmonically unsophisticated, annoyingly catchy.

And what to make of the whole Baby Einstein, Baby Mozart, etc. genius development records out there? Will we see a new wave of classical music giants in the next generation?

How to Have 54 Weeks a Year

In our busy, crazy lives it can be hard to find the extra time to compose. Those of you who listen to my audio podcast know that I'm an advocate of getting up an hour early every day, setting aside this time for creativity.

I have to thank Jeffrey Gitomer, author of Little Gold Book of Yes Attitude (highly recommended) for pointing out just how much this adds up.

If you get an extra hour each day, that's 365 extra hours a year. (Obviously...) Break that down to days and you get an extra fifteen 24 hour days! (With a few extra spare hours as well.)

So there's your extra two weeks every year, enough to get a good piece or two written.

Brooke Astor 1902-2007

For several years in the early 1990s, I worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and had the good fortune to meet Mrs. Brooke Astor. Every year she would throw a winter holiday party, at her own expense, for the staff of the museum. Everyone from curators to security guards were invited, and she took the time to meet as many staff members as she could, shaking hands and asking our names. She was so down to earth and approachable. A real class act.

When I told her my name, she got a little twinkle in her eye, and she remembered me from year to year. I didn't realize it until much later, but Mrs. Astor's maiden name was Russell. (No relation!) The art world has lost a great patron saint today. She will be missed.