Calvin has commandeered the stereo. He has borrowed his sister's little "disco ball" lightshow toy, you know, the base with plastic spinning globe that has a weak lamp inside and several colored windows on the ball. He has taken a standard flashlight, balanced it on one end, and placed another hollow ball-with-circular-cutouts on it, to make a static lighting backdrop for the swirling colors. He is cranking tunes loud, dancing, running over to play the djembe and, simultaneously, getting himself ready for bed.
He runs into the dining room shortly thereafter, grinning, and declares that he has invented "The dance of the Pajamazons."
For reference, here is his playlist this evening:
Phish – "Chalkdust Torture" ["Can't this wait 'til I'm old / Can I live while I'm young?"]
Monty Python – "All Things Dull and Ugly" [Well, He did make them all!]
Monty Python – "The Galaxy Song" [Here follows a semantic argument about speeds faster than c. "Just because you can't GO that fast doesn't mean there isn't a SPEED that fast."]
Joan Jett – "I Love Rock and Roll" [He has correctly identified that the dropped quarter note in the last chorus is the trick that makes the song rock that. much. harder.]
Johhny Cash – "Folsom Prison Blues" [a constant since he was 15 months old]
Pet Shop Boys – "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" [Yesterday, it was "Left To My Own Devices"]
K'naan – "Wavin' Flag (Coca Cola Soccer Mix)" [eh, can't win them all]
Stuart Duncan, Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, and Yo-Yo Ma – "Attaboy" [got this track free with coffee, it rules so hard I think Santa may have to put the album in Calvin's stocking.]
Bombino – "Tar Hani" [Still his favorite track from one of the albums of the year]
Mercan Dede – "Hininga" [Surprised me. I had to go check the track name!]
He's heard enough Phish to both enjoy it and critique the lyrics to Tweezer. Bombino we discovered together, when I was on a Taureg freedom fighter musician kick earlier this year. Note to self: he doesn't (yet) know Fela. Mercan Dede I loaded on a hunch; he listened to all 3 albums and has picked out his favorites, just like he did with the Bombino, Pet Shop Boys, and Python. Actually, thinking about it, the PSB got into his rotation because their "best of" CD was good driving around town music in CA.
If your children aren't familiar with Joan Jett and Johnny Cash by age 5 or so I…I got nothing. That's like only speaking Urdu at home in the middle of Kansas.
So much music here I've never heard. Life is way too short.