Slice of Life: Ukulele and Drum Sticks

(This is part of the Slice of Life project at Two Writing Teachers)

“Dad, how do you write your songs? Do you make the music first or the words first or do you just randomly write something?” my older son asked. I looked him over to see if he was serious or just pulling my leg (yeah, sometimes, that happens with 12 year olds), and, seeing he was serious to some degree, I gave him the honest answer.

“There’s no set way to do it. Every song starts somewhere different, I guess. I start with an idea, usually, but sometimes, I just play and see what comes out of my head.”

He complained in a good-natured way that his brother was all about “the random,”  left and the middle child (the one he was complaining about) came walking in.

“We’re starting a band.”

“Ummm. Really?”

“Yep. We’re the Egregious Tigger-oos.”

I spent a few seconds showing him how to pronounce “egregious” and noted, with support, the nice juxtaposition between those two words and the ring when you say it out loud. Egregious Tigger-oos!

The song they had first been planning a few hours earlier (I was eavesdropping) was called “Polka dot Bathrobe” but apparently, they were now moving on to other songs on a possible future  iTunes album tentatively being called “Cheesy Strawberries.” They weren’t making music, you know, just planning the whole project out. More like producers with big ideas than musicians with chords.

“And we rock,” said the older one. “Of course, we only have a ukulele, a keyboard, and some drum sticks.”

There have been bands with lesser talent on fewer instruments. I think. Anyway, who cares. Just go create music! I was about to give them fatherly support and maybe some musicianly advice when they walked away, mulling over the art work on some future album.

“It has to look good on the iTouch,” the older one said, as the middle one nodded. Kids, these days, it’s all about the device.

Peace (in the tunes),

Kevin