Interpretive Dancing to Bob Dylan

 

Recently we upgraded our DVR and in the process we now have Pandora on our television. This provides a whole new way to attempt to elicit music reviews from 9-year-old DJ B, who hasn't done an official review in nearly three years.

This afternoon, while hosting her friend Miss L for a playdate, we decided to type in "Bill Orcutt Radio" to see what sort of playlist was generated. (We had slightly ulterior motives since experimental guitarist Orcutt is Miss L's dad.)

The girls rocked out to every track they heard (from Tom Waits to The Residents to Bill Orcutt himself), but it was the sight of Bob Dylan on the playlist ("Queen Jane Approximately") that prompted them to hit pause and run out of the room in search of costumes.

DJ B donned a tiny Dorothy costume, Rapunzel wig, Disney bridal veil Minnie Mouse ears, sunglasses in the shape of guitars, and ear protection headphones, while Miss L gravitated to a black Zombie costume (complete with mummy gauze), bright blue bob wig, and flip flops.

They danced around the room, with DJ B leading Miss L in a series of moves. When I asked what they thought of the Bob Dylan song, they said, "It was cool."

Swiffering and Irish Dancing to Maria Muldaur

We're getting those pesky hold notices from the library again, as some music-loving patron is jonesing for a fix of a certain CD that's in our possession. Since I have way too much guilt in my life already, I figured I better get DJ B to review Maria Muldaur's "Heart of Mine-Love Songs of Bob Dylan" before we get more intimidating emails from the library.

While we were cleaning the house yesterday, I slipped this CD into the player. It attracted ZERO notice from Miss B. She was much more fixated on cleaning our kitchen floor with a Swiffer. When track 10 came on ("I'll Be Your Baby Tonight") she reacted for the first time, as she bounced briefly through the room. She said, "I know it's dancing music" and then wandered off, collecting ornaments and placing them into a Christmas stocking. After hanging her stocking up she announced, "I'm going to bed" and asked, "Mama. What's in my stocking for Christmas?" and then screamed "Open it!"

She continued with her projects around the house and only reacted again when she heard the beginning of the final song ("You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"). She jumped up yelling, "Mmmmm. Irish dancing!" and then began to do an Irish dance. After a few moments she returned to making Christmas cards, but got to her feet again at the end of the song (when she heard a fiddle) and danced before bowing at the end of the piece.

Bob Dylan's Rocking, Throwing, and Holding Music

I couldn't believe it when DJ B pulled a Bob Dylan CD from the shelf at the public library. As far as Bob Dylan goes, I live in a divided household. I still haven't found a connection to his music and am particularly turned off by his nasally vocal style. My husband, however, is a huge fan and for years has been trying to convert me to the pro-Dylan camp. The moment I realized that Miss B had chosen Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3 on our library jaunt, I knew that my husband would be elated. In the intervening hours before listening to the CD the tension was mounting, as I wondered how Miss B would feel about her dad's beloved artist.

We decided to listen to the CD when the whole family was home. My husband put it in the player and Miss B said, "I wanna hold your hand." Muddying the process, Miss B's dad started singing along to the music and directed his performance at our resident toddler music critic. She shook her head, danced, then jumped on a chair. She asked her dad to hold her and dance, saying, "Rock me in the living room." After some slow dancing, Miss B then said, "Throw me dada. Put me in the basketball. Throw me in the basketball." He ignored her request and instead began to sing to her. During "Tangled Up in Blue," DJ B said, "This is a holding song." Her dad continued to dance with her in his arms for the entire song, even though she said, "Sorry dada. I'm going to have to get something else. I need something else" while shaking her fist. At the end of the song she got down and did some more energetic dancing.

A few days later Miss B grabbed the CD again, saying, "I wanna sing to this one." Yet after we put it on she didn't pay too much attention to the music. Instead she focused on her snack and her pink laptop computer, telling me, "I'm doing work....do my email." When I asked what she thought of the music, she got up and turned it off.

It's clear to me that DJ B's enjoyment of Bob Dylan was highly dependent on the presence of her father. Music, like so many things, is so much more fun when sharing it with other fans.

Lead Belly Makes Miss B Think about Pizza

One of the more interesting releases that DJ B has grabbed from the public library shelf was Lead Belly's "Absolutely the Best." These very early blues recordings caught my attention immediately and I hoped that Miss B would be similarly entranced.

She did sway a bit when the music started, taking a cursory look at the booklet. But this was short-lived enthusiasm, as she stopped the CD before the end of track 1 and demanded her favorite TV show.

A few days later we listened to it again and DJ B didn't react much at all. She played with a Kleenex box, laughed, and ran around the room saying, "mmmm...pizza." She pretended to eat pizza, galloped, then danced for a few seconds. When the second track began, she started to march. When I asked her what it sounded like, she said, "Uh. good." She turned her attention to the booklet again and tried to insert it into the VCR. As "Goodnight, Irene" started to play, she ejected the CD and moved on to the next thing.

It turns out that Lead Belly also released a popular children's album, "Lead Belly Sings for Children." I wonder if Miss B would be more drawn to that?

Aloha (that's Hello and Goodbye) to Kohala

Next up in Miss B's lineup of CD selections from last week's trip to the library was Kohala's "Deeper Blue." After we put this Hawaiian guitar music into the CD player, DJ B took a close look at the booklet and asked, "What's this one?" She picked up her Hello Kitty umbrella, opened it, and danced a bit with it over her head (perhaps in anticipation of a tropical storm?). After 2 minutes of listening, she said, "I don't want to keep this on" and headed off to the next CD, asking, "What's this one?"

Today she gravitated towards Kohala again and upon hearing it, she smiled at me and then stared off into space. Miss B then got distracted by a stack of DVDs, said "I want cookies," and turned her attention to some dumpster-divers outside our window. Ah, yes, urban living.

So, Kohala is a bit more intriguing to DJ B than Leo Kottke, but far less enticing than metal-seeking scavengers. Island sounds just can't compete with the noises of the big city.

Leo Kottke Can't Stop the Tears

Last week Miss B pulled 5 CDs from the public library shelf, so we have our work cut out for us. Luckily, there wasn't much that held DJ B's interest, so the reviews will be quick. The first album that she requested was Leo Kottke's "Try and Stop Me." After putting it into the CD player Miss B closed the Hello Kitty umbrella that she was holding and then grabbed another CD to look at. Within seconds of hearing Kottke's guitar, she said, "I want that one...over there...this one instead" and we were off to the next selection.

We tried to listen to this again today, but Miss B was in full-on tantrum mode and could care less about Leo Kottke. Too bad, as I'd read some comparisons to John Fahey, which piqued my interest. On the other hand, I've also heard some new age associations, so perhaps Miss B knew what she was talking about when she skipped this one.

Camper Van Beethoven and Children's Music

(Photo Credit: http://chrismolla.fuzz.com/)

I'm extremely dubious about children's music, which is why the focus of this blog is the main CD section of the library and not the kids' section. I haven't found much kids' music that I like, so I'm most interested in introducing well-crafted adult music to DJ B. For that reason, we haven't hit very many children's music performances, either. I realize that we're missing out on a whole subculture, with artists like The Sippy Cups, Enzo Garcia, and Miss Kitty (who we have seen) wowing crowds in San Francisco on a regular basis.

Today, I set my music snobbery aside to check out the free music gig by Chris Molla at our local San Francisco Public Library branch. The room was packed with babies and tots, who seemed to enjoy the folky music played on guitar and accordion. Chris engaged the crowd, asking for color suggestions for one song where he seemed to improvise rhymes on the spot, based on the color. He told us that the orange/door hinge rhyme credit was courtesy of a 6-year-old. Miss B kept her colors to herself and was reluctant to get up and dance, but she did smile throughout the show.

Afterwards the librarian told me that Chris Molla was a founding member of indie band/college radio staple Camper Van Beethoven. And, now, he's a preschool music guru playing at a library near you!

The moral of the story is I'll have to give kid-oriented music a second look now, as sometimes it comes with some pretty cool credentials.