Music

Yo-Yo Ma. My film professor once chastised me for using the cellist's entire name in a game of "Musicians by Last Name." Oh, the games that young adults play on long bus rides through dusty Latin American countries. But, I digress (as usual). I heard Yo-Yo Ma interviewed recently on Fresh Air and the selections from his new record amazed me. Although I am not sure the name of the new CD, I am happy to report you can listen to selections of Ma's work on his website.

I listen to a lot of Fresh Air, actually, as it is broadcast during the time I drive Griffin to nursery school. Since Bela typically falls asleep on the trip home, I am an NPR driveway listener. One day this past fall, Terri Gross interviewed Dave Grohl, currently of the band Foo Fighters, but for punks of my generation, he will always be known as the drummer from Nirvana. During the interview, Grohl told a story of the first U.S. tour with Nirvana, when Kurt Cobain would poke holes in Grohl's drum kit with his guitar. The kit was pretty wrecked by the time the band got to Chicago, where Grohl heard about a music store that was having a blowout sale. He quickly concocted a scheme to destroy his kit on stage that night after the show was done, enlisting the help of Cobain. But, alas, the next day was Sunday... and the store was closed!

Moral of the story: telling your five-year-0ld such a story will also precipitate a need to advise him NOT to poke holes in his father's drum kit. And, he now has a very interesting repertoire of bands he demands to listen to, also known to him and his friends as "rockin' out music." :)

I'm also really liking a band called The Thrills. I love college rock! This is not the best recording, but it is by far the best I could find on YouTube.