Lately, as she's become more focused and responsive, I've been been using my iPhone's speaker to play music while I'm changing her clothes or diaper. She really enjoys laying on her changing table anyway, so I hope she connects that positive feeling with the music I play while she's there.
While my recent Twitter updates haven't reflected this, most of the music I'm playing is by female artists. It wasn't conscious initially, but I'm doing it more and more on purpose. Again, I know she can't grasp it now, but I'm hoping that on some level I can musically inoculate her against the crappy, sometimes offensively bad, pop music she's bound to encounter in the future. I'd like her to know that for every Katy Perry out there, there's a Regina Spektor. For every Avril Lavigne, a Sleater-Kinney. For every Taylor Swift, a Marketa Irglova. It's not that there isn't a place for disposable pop in everyone's life, it's just that you can have your fun without sacrificing spectacular vocals, killer lyrics, and fine craftsmanship.
It's like the difference between a fast food meal and one prepared at home. One uses crappy ingredients to produce something that's appealing in the short term, but doesn't provide lasting nutritional value. Yeah, it tastes good, and it'll get you through the day, but if you try to eat it for every meal, you're not doing yourself any favors. The other is produced with care, from high-quality ingredients (at least the way I do it), and not only tastes great, but provides a balanced, attractive meal that you'll want to experience again and again.
Yeah. Horrible and great pop music is just like that.
As it pertains to girl groups, some of my bias certainly comes along with who I perceive as better role models, sure. Both groups trade in risque themes, but what makes a group like The Pipettes better role models (in my opinion) than The Pussycat Dolls is that the "girl power" theme that runs through the music isn't just a put on. The Pussycat Dolls use sex appeal solely as a means to sell music. The might produce a good hook for a single, but there's no real empowerment to their music. The Pipettes, on the other hand, might wear short skirts and sing about one-night stands, but they let the lyrics do the heavy lifting. Nary a stripper pole to be found at a Pipettes show. (This particular argument is a bit early in the forming, since once Little G can understand lyrics, I'm going to steer her as far from all of this as I can.)
Anyway, I'm an optimist, so I'll just go on acting like I'm making a difference until Little G is actually capable of telling me to lay off. I'm going to cook and serve well-balanced and tasty meals, and I'm going to serve up quality pop music. What she does with these lessons, that's ultimately up to her.
As long as it gets her dancing like this, I can't say that it much matters.
Which, incidentally, was in response to She & Him covering The Beach Boys "I Can Hear Music."
