The O-town Scene

A Single Dad |by Raul O'Toole Talkin' 'Bout His Generation A son discovers The Who, CCR, Aretha and others If you were lucky, unlucky, bemused or annoyed enough to happen upon my last screed in these gray pages, you know I've been kicking around ideas on how best to help my son understand the real value of a deep, personal, emotional synthesis with rock 'n' roll. You know I'd elected to allow him unfettered access to my record collection and ensure ours was a house filled with music. A decent plan, I thought. But then things got serious. Around the dinner table one night in early Decem- ber, Little Raul was singing under his breath. It's not unusual. He can often be heard humming a tune as he puts on his little pants in the morn- ing, and he's a big fan of his kindergar- ten music class. But this was different. I caught notes of a tune I recognized. Not a holiday carol or grade-school rhyme, either. that Little Raul knows these songs by their Holly- wood bastardizations. It's like the girl who quoted "No Woman No Cry" in our high school yearbook and attributed the song to The Fugees. It's just wrong. So I sprang into action. The impending gift-giving holiday provided an ideal opportunity to reduce if not eliminate Alvin's influence. I decided I would provide my son with a starter record collection. I would force the issue. I would help him off on his way toward appreciating the artists who really wrote these songs, who've had an impact, who are flesh and blood. It would have been a chore "Woah, we're half way there," he sang. I couldn't help but chime in with "livin' on a prayer!" I was tickled that he knew Bon Jovi, and disappointed when he explained he was singing an Alvin and The Chipmunks song. Having grown up with the "Chipmunk Punk" re- cord, I chuckled. Those rodents have a long history of ruining good tunes (though how a Billy Joel cover made it onto a record called "punk" I'll never un- derstand). I explained Alvin wasn't the first to sing "Livin' on a Prayer" and left it at that. But a week later things got ugly. We were cleaning some leftovers out of the fridge when Little Raul sang out, "Don't worry, about a thing, cuz every little thing's, gonna be all right." I was floored. My son was singing Bob Marley in my kitchen, unprompted. I have a deep and abiding con- nection to the song he came out with, "Three Little Birds." I was beside myself. It was an incredible mo- ment _ but Alvin and company ruined it again. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad these digital rodents are introducing my son to music, I really am. But there's something deeply sacrilegious about the fact "Woah, we're half way there," he sang. I couldn't help but chime in with "livin' on a prayer!" I was tickled that he knew Bon Jovi, and disap- pointed when he explained he was singing an Alvin and The Chipmunks song. beyond the week or so I had left myself to put this gift together to give him full albums, not to men- tion the danger lurking in LP tracks potentially unfit for 5-year-old ears. So I de- cided to download for him greatest hits records by the most important and appro- priate artists. Based on his interests, we'll dig deeper. He was unimpressed upon opening a case of dad- labeled CDs on Christmas morning, but in the days that followed he's explored his new music collection with a gusto that warms my heart. My son now owns music by Aretha Franklin, The Band, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Bruce Spring- steen, Creedence Clearwater Revival, a mix of Mo- town greats, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, The Who and Woody Guthrie. A decent foundation, I think. Maybe someday we'll get to Beck, Ween, The Flaming Lips, Wilco and Radiohead. But not just yet. Early on, The Who are his favorite. I chalk it up en- tirely to Keith Moon. Between his frantic drumming and the factoid I'd shared about how he inspired Ani- mal from the Muppets, Little Raul is hooked. I can handle that. It's a pretty good start, and maybe, just maybe, "My Generation" will resonate with him like it did with me, like it did for so many of us. He'll be a better man for it. "Raul O'Toole" is a single dad raising a young son in the Oneonta area. MUSIC APPRECIATION Artists to include on playlists when educating children about rock 'n' roll BEGIN WITH Aretha Franklin The Band The Beach Boys The Beatles Bob Dylan Bob Marley Bruce Springsteen Creedence Clearwater Revival Motown greats The Ramones The Rolling Stones The Who Woody Guthrie THEN INTRODUCE Beck The Flaming Lips Radiohead Ween Wilco Beck Bruce Springsteen Aretha Franklin The Rolling Stones Radiohead Jan. 12, 2012 O-Town Scene 5

• Cover