Sing A Song

A little Earth, Wind & Fire for you for this post...

Jennifer is pushing the 20th week of her pregnancy this week. How fast this summer has flown! We just read that this week the baby can actually hear sound, which is the the start of the best part of the pregnancy. I believe that despite the inability to hear earlier over the past several weeks, the baby can feel the vibrations of my voice when I get close to Jen's belly. I have been chatting it up with Jacob here and there, mostly late in the evening prior to Jen going to bed. Giving him a primer of becoming a Rogerson: believe in the Yankees, love football, and being kind to his mother. This week, we have added a new part to the mix: music.

Over the past few days, we have been playing Jacob music from my iPod via headphones strategically placed on Jen's belly. It started out by playing something with a strong beat so he could feel the vibrating rhythms of the Gap Band, Earth, Wind, & Fire, and Michael Jackson. No response from Jacob. I am guessing that he was a little freaked out by the cacophony of new sound.

Tonight, I tried a different mix. We started with The Beatles' "Yesterday," Emerson Hart's "Green Hills Race for California," and Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind." I think that Jacob enjoyed this more than yesterday. We finished with another Beatles tune, "Goodnight," from the White Album. I thought it appropriate finale for the evening of his education through music. My goal is that he hears the Beatles and is instantly soothed when he cries in the middle of the night. Gabe turned out great- he loves my musical tastes. He is becoming an avid fan of The Beatles and AC/DC, which is alright with me...

If you haven't seen them before, they now make an album series entitled, "Rock-A-Bye Baby" which are famous artists set in the form of a music box for babies. It is quite possibly the cooles thing I have heard in quite a while. They have music box versions of AC/DC, Metallica, The Beatles, U2, The Cure, Pink Floyd, and several others. It sound bizarre, but they are quite captivating. Seriously- a baby-friendly version of "Master Of Puppets" sounds ridiculous, but its quite enchaniting. Far better than listening to the other garbage that is out there, for sure. Jen and I plan on getting most of these albums for Jacob to enjoy in the crib and car. Rock on, little Jacob!

Playing this music for Jacob has me itching to pick up the guitar and learn some new material. I haven't played too much lately- life has been too busy and I end up doing other things to keep myself occupied. I really want to learn some material so that I can sing and play for him while in the crib. It is also something constructive that has forces the brain to fire the synapses on the creative side of the brain, which doesn't happen all to often throughout the day.

I began learning the chord progression for "Yesterday" and "Something" tonight. Let me just say that the brilliance of John, Paul, George, Ringo, and Sir George Martin will never be exaggerated. The chord progressions and melodies are quite eloquent....

Over the next few months, I'll be trying to build a repertoire of tunes in preparation for the February birth of Jacob. Let me know of tunes you think I should learn...