Ross - "Favorite Things" contest

Here's entry number two for the "Favorite Things" contest.

It’s our time to tell a story, our time to tell a story, our time
To tell a story, how music has influenced us…

From the time we found out that we were pregnant with our first child Maddy, my wife and I began a power struggle over whose music would dominate her early life.
My wife Jewell loves Barry Manilow and I love Rush. Growing up she had big hair and also listened to The Cure and Echo and the Bunnymen, where I had long hair, wore a jean jacket covered with band pins and listened to heavy metal. How we ever got together is a story for another day.
After getting the good news that Maddy was on her way, we went to Babies R' Us to look for a speaker system to put against Jewell's belly so Maddy could hear music in the womb. After seeing that "in the womb culture" came at a very outrageous price, we decided to play music in the car and sing to her at night.
Maddy's first post-natal musical experience was Jewell singing "Hush Little Baby" to her. It would calm her down when she was fussy. Maddy remembered hearing that song so when Sam, our son, gets fussy Maddy will tell Jewell, "Hush little baby Momma, hush little baby". She sometimes sings along to help calm down her brother.
Barney also became an early musical influence. She took to it like a fish to water. In the car, hearing his sultry voice would calm her down and put her to sleep. She progressed from listening to Barney, to watching the purple dinosaur and Maddy began to sing along and also started to dance.
As she got older, more influences started presenting themselves to her. Another learning show, The Backyardigans, became her new favorite (as well as Daddy's) and Maddy really enjoyed dancing when she would hear the opening theme and also to some of her favorite episodes.
Maddy has several older cousins who are involved with dance and cheerleading. Maddy loves being around them especially when they show her their dance moves. They have also introduced her to dance and hip-hop music. Mom also likes this kind of music and since they spend more time together in the car, Maddy has begun to like the musical styling’s of Britney and Fergie. She has developed her own dance moves. We call it the chicken wing. She bends her arms and either flaps them like a bird or swings them as if she was singing a pirate song! Maddy has also introduced a couple twirls and a few sidesteps to her repertoire. We believe she will be ready for "So you think you can dance?" by 2014.
Maddy has really enjoyed going to music class with her Ya-Ya. When I come home from work Wednesday afternoons, I hear them singing the new song she has learned. From “Bow Wow Wow” to “We are clothes in a washing machine”, Maddy is using singing to really expand her language skills. Jewell and her often sing together around the house.
I love listening to music. I look forward to continuing Maddy’s music education and also teaching Sam the finer points of heavy metal!!