DJ B Rejoins the Cult of Music Together

It's ironic that one day after I practically gave up on DJ B's Library Tour, my daughter had a change of heart. Today Miss B pointed out a CD in our collection and asked me to put it on for her....something she hasn't done in months.

She gravitated to the Music Together CD "Summer Songs 2" that we received when we took a music class ages ago. I was thrilled by her renewed interest in music listening....but, had mixed feelings due to the genre.

As the music started, Miss B asked me to find the accompanying music book. After I brought it to her, she sat down at her toy piano, propped up her "music" and played the piano and sang along to the songs. Initially she only wanted to hear the first song "Hello Everybody" over and over again while she precisely tapped the keys, studied the music book, and sang along.

She swayed back and forth while she sang and at the end of the song said, "Everybody clap for me!" I clapped and she politely said, "thank you" and then jumped up and down, ran in circles and continued to sing, "hello to mama....hello to dadda..." Eventually she let the CD track to other songs and she danced wildly while blasting the music. During the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" song she asked me to find her book of the same name, saying, "get that book, 'cuz she's singing that." Upon retrieval, she read the book while listening to the music and acted out the accompanying gestures that go along with the song.

Wow. Music Together has something going on for sure, as Miss B was riveted by this CD. Now if only I can get her back to the library for a broader range of sounds....Keep your fingers crossed for me.

DJ B Says No to Taiwan TV

It's important to remember that DJ B hand-selected each of the items reviewed on this blog from the library, so she was initially intrigued by something that she saw on each and every CD that's been part of this project. Yet, what happens after we get home with the CD varies tremendously. As she's grown weary of this project, it's become more and more difficult to get her to allow me to play any of these CDs for her.

Sweet Relationship OST (a soundtrack CD for a Taiwan TV show of the same name) looks like a DVD, as it's housed in a long box. I think Miss B was disappointed that it wasn't actually a DVD because every time I put it in the CD player she takes it out immediately. Yesterday she said, "I don't want you to listen to music right now. It's not music time."

Well, OK.

Cuddling and Quacking to Bette Midler

DJ B is now three.

As the lengthy delay in posting might suggest, she seems to have grown weary of the CD review project and instead is focusing on playing dress up, watching way too much TV, and writing her own songs (themes this week have included ballerinas, firefighters, monsters and our dead cat).

Before the library comes after me for our overdue CDs, I'll attempt to recap her latest two selections. Way back in January Miss B was drawn to a Bette Midler CD at our local branch of the San Francisco Public Library (imagine that?). Initially, "Bathhouse Betty" wouldn't even play in our CD player (too well-loved already?). Finally, we got it to work on a boombox and Miss B smiled and said, "I want to sit on your lap." During a ballad she cuddled with me and then said, "put me in the crib, mom...tuck me in." I did what she asked and she closed her eyes, pretending to sleep, before jumping up and saying, "I'm dancing in my crib!" She quacked and started to dance to the disco-tinged song "I'm Beautiful." Sounds like a strong endorsement, right? Well, the next two times I put the CD on, Miss B wanted nothing to do with Ms. Midler. The love affair was fleeting...