The power of music

Nothing too exciting to report on this Saturday. We did have another calf and by the looks of bellies, udders and swollen Volvos (use your imagination) there are going to be a mess of calves coming over the next few weeks. I did take sometime off today to go watch my youngest play in a club volleyball tournament. They made it into the championship round but were overpowered there, still a great day for a brand new team, Congrats girls. Being around young people and watching my almost 13 year old today gave me a few thoughts. Does every kid between age 2 and 112 have an iPod or mp3 player these days?

I do not own an iPod or mp3 but I am afraid the day of purchase may be coming soon. I absolutely love music although I rarely buy a CD. I usually find the FM dial has all I need and I am never stuck on a certain genre of music. Sure, at my inner core is a love for traditional country music such as Hank Williams Sr. and Marty Robbins but I have big wings from there. George Jones, Willie, Conway, Charlie Pride, Merle and especially Waylon are some of my favorites. David Allan Coe, Charlie Daniels, Dolly, Patsy, Don Williams and The man in black can warm my heart. That’s not to say that Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson, Jason Aldean and Sir George Strait are not appreciated.

I am also the product of being in High School in the 80’s. AC/DC, Def Leopard, Kiss, Cinderella and a day without some Motley Crue rarely happens in my world. Joan Jett, Lita Ford and Pat Benatar all at some point in my teens were in my mind the perfect woman. A full length poster of Joan in black fishnet stockings and a leather miniskirt once adorned the walls of my fluorescent green painted room. Today I have musical loves from many genres as well. Dwight Yoakum, Gary Allen, NickelBack and Avril Lavigne will make me crank the volume level. I can even now say I have a “rapper” I enjoy, go check out the country rap sounds of Colt Ford. Before I make this list too long I should go into the original notion as to how music can be very powerful. That is why I feel it is important to be open minded and at least try any music or artist once.

Anyone who knows me personally or through this blog has probably been able to discern how introverted and shy I am. That does not mean I won’t do something just to get a rise out of someone now and again. If you really want to turn some heads just pull into your local feed store or a spring branding with Judas Preist singing “you got another thing coming”. Next time you drive into the unloading alley at your local salebarn make sure Guns and Roses is belting out “November Rain”, or Lady Gaga singing “Poker Face”, that will cock some eyebrows and heads.

You can also use music to control behavior in your kids. Next time you see your teenager dawdling on their way to your vehicle after school be prepared. Have some KC and the Sunshine Band blasting out “That’s the way uh huh uh huh, I like it uh huh uh huh”. You will be amazed how fast your teen wants to leave the parking lot as their friends look on in horror. Show your total masculinity and security in your heterosexuality by pulling into a rest area near Seattle with “Staying alive” by the Bee Gees pumping from your 6x9’s. Just know a Barney Franks supporter is waiting in the bushes hoping to meet you.

Just for kicks sometime drive deep into the inner part of a major US city with your windows down. Make sure Hank Jr. is groaning out “A country boy can survive” just to test your knowledge and acceptance in the “hood”. While you are at it yell at the top of your lungs, “Kanye is my b*tch” and see if you cannot affect people and their actions. Put on your best suit and buy a ticket to your local community theater. Right in the middle of the main scene of Hamlet yell out, “Play some Skynerd man!” You will be famous.

You want to impress your mother-in-law? Make sure your cell phone has the ring tone of “She’s my cherry pie” by Warrant when her daughter that you married happens to call you. If that does not get a reaction have the same song play when her other daughter that you did not marry, your sister-in-law calls your cell. You will see the power of music. While you’re at it next time you hear “Fat Bottom Girls” by Queen tell your bride how the song makes you think of how much you love her. See if you can’t get some reaction.

As much as I like to shock, embarrass, and generally annoy people I am not immune to the same terror and am deathly afraid of my reaction to certain situations related to music. I fear the day that some boy comes to pickup one of my daughters for a date with his Darkhorse CD by Nickelback screaming out, “Got to meet the hottie with the million dollar body, they say its over budget, but you’d pay her just to touch it, come on”. I can see the headline now “Local boy mysteriously disappears on his way to pickup date”.

I gotta go, I have not inventoried my guns in over a week. The pic at the top I took today of a cow that must have let her ears get into somewhere maybe they should not have.

Today,s real environmentalist species found on the ranch is Red wing blackbird aka Agelaius phoeniceus