One of the most important duties a parent has is to expose their children to good music. This is among the things I most fervently believe.
So I have taken it upon myself to begin my children’s musical education. I say this while fully realizing they will probably rebel and like music that I deplore and this will in turn create a gulf between us that is vast and divisive and ultimately insurmountable.
But in the meantime I’m doing my best.
For example, recently I was trying to get Ethan into M. Ward.
“That’s M. Ward,” I told him. “He’s a very talented singer-songwriter guy.”
“That’s not M. Ward,” Ethan told me. “That’s Ratatouille.”
Actually, it was a pretty brilliant comparison. There is a bit of a Parsian/Left Bank/Django Reinhardt vibe in some of his music.
I was reminded of M. Ward because he has a new album out. It’s called Hold Time. And for a limited time you can listen to it on NPR.