No, not insanity, which you get hereditarily from your kids. I mean culture, if you're lucky. I just had the great pleasure of seeing Bela Fleck and the Original Flecktones last night at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill, NY.
What is relevant here is not that it was an amazing, inventive display of jazz, blues, techno and bluegrass virtuosity. What is relevant is that I would likely never have heard of the artists were it not for my kids. Back when they were in high school, during the '90s, both became interested in ska, an eclectic genre that pulses in and out of general awareness, as well as related styles. Some of the artists I came to hear about and listen to were Bela Fleck, Medeski, Martin & Wood, the Skatellites, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and more. I have gravitated toward the first two on this list owing to my preference for jazz and blues.
My interest in their tastes and experiences in popular music is not borne of a need to police their activities, as is so often the case today among "helicopter parents". Rather it is a response to the frustration I felt as a youth with the absolute, principled rejection of the popular music of the time (the '60s) on the part of my parents. Boy, what they missed!
Well, that wasn't going to happen to me, or my kids. I happen to toil in a field where experiencing new stimuli and open-minded awareness of trends are crucial to relevance and survival. You don't have to like it, you just have to acknowledge it, whatever it is. (You may in fact like it!)
As a result, I feel closer to my family and I enjoy more things than I otherwise would. Many of our forebears would reject the new and different out of the need to preserve parental hegemony, or adhere to symbols of "the good old days" associated with generational markers like war and depression. Instead, we should recognize that most trends, attitudes and art forms are part of an unbroken continuum stretching back to our cave-dwelling days. I hope a great many parents, especially the children of the '60s, adopt this approach. If we're remembered for anything, this would be a biggie. (Incidentally, this attribute is even truer of my wife, who has an amazing ability to exchange attitudes and ideas with members of both the younger and older generations.)
So, when I enjoy a rousing evening of incredible music such as last night's show and reflect on how I came to be in attendance, I also experience the warmth of sharing and appreciation for the cultural and intellectual sensibilities of my whole family. More than anything else, that makes me feel strong and important.
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