My daughter and I listen to a lot of music together. Some of it is music that I like, some is music that she likes, and some is music that we both like. I’m just happy that she is open to hearing new music, new to her at least. 

Whether it be funk, soul, or rock-and-roll from the 60’s and 70’s, hardcore punk from the 80’s, hip hop from the 90’s, or some obscure avant garde artist that I learned about from listening to Henry Rollins’ radio show on KCRW, she will give it a chance. That doesn’t mean she likes it or that she doesn’t ask for her music, but she listens. Every once in a while she will even ask me to add one of my songs to her playlist. 

She also asks me about the artists from time to time. Who are they? What are their names? Where are they from? She loves the story of Ian MacKaye and Henry Rollins growing up together, being inspired by Bad Brains, and becoming punk legends in their own right. Her favorite part of their story is how Henry Rollins started as a fan and eventually became the lead singer for his favorite band, Black Flag. She loves hearing about it I love talking to her about it.

I hope that my daughter is as moved and inspired by music as I was and am because, when I had no one else and nothing else, I always had a song for the occasion. Music, more than any other art form, has always kept me company. It has made the lonely times less so and the happy times more so. I hope that my daughter finds a friend in music like I did, but she wrote a song today so I’m pretty sure she already has.