I have to say that I haven’t been this excited since, I don’t know, the…Wham reunion concert!?!?! Jake’s very first DRUM SET arrives tomorrow! It’s a little wooden kit. So cool! Now, I know what you’re saying. “Don’t try to impress your own interests on your kid! He’s his own person!” True. I don’t care if he learns to play drums. But, I most certainly want him to learn an appreciation for music!

As a kid, the stereo was always on in my house. My Dad bought me a guitar at first. A Fender Mustang. My self-diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder hindered me from learning how to read music. But it didn’t stop me from learning how to air guitar to ‘Jesse’s Girl’ in front of the mirror for hours on end. In the meantime, my Dad also bought me a drum set after seeing me fashion fake drum kits out of coffee cans and frying pans. He’d play old REO Speedwagon, Billy Joel, Elton John, etc. on the stereo and let me blast away on my blue speckled Slingerland four-piece with Zildian cymbals.

I’ve still never learned how to read music. Although, I did teach myself how to play drums by watching and listening to all the Greats! I would have never learned that appreciation for music if wasn’t passed down from my Old Man. They’re still some of the fondest memories I have. One day I was practicing in the garage. My Dad cranked up the radio, and spun through the dial. I could play every single song he stopped at! The real test: He’d turn the volume down for a few bars as I kept playing. Sure enough, when he turned the song back up, I’d never missed a beat! I’ll never forget the smile on his face. That is one legacy I will not lay to rest.

So, I’ve been scrolling through iTunes, trying to find cool songs to hammer away to on Jake’s cool little kit. I don’t mean to try and teach him to “walk before he can crawl”, but, I think this one may stir some interest. He loves hittin’ the bouncy seat to this one! Any ideas???