Chasing Mr. David

I hesitated at first, as tends to be my habit, standing towards the back, my old insecurities resurfacing. The music was live and it was brilliant and I'd secretly yearned to unleash the cool moves I'd practiced so many times in front of the mirror at home, starting when I was a teen. (Everyone does that, right? right?!) The stunned crowd stared motionless, electrified by the sounds of the acoustic guitar. I could feel the energy building and suddenly, we exploded into off beat movement, with some of us running in circles and some of us jumping up and down spastically. A few of us cried.

"Mommy, I'm standing on the J!" my then two-year-old son had shouted, bopping to the music.

"And I'm on the L, " his twin brother chimed in, bopping as well.

"Yes, " I'd shouted back, glancing at the circle time rug, "You certainly are!" 

Such was my introduction to the music of Bay Area family musician, Mr. David. He'd come to perform at  our old co-op preschool that day, toting a blue guitar and a bongo drum. For the briefest of moments, I was my long gone twenty-something self, dressed in black and out clubbing in San Francisco, hiding lurking

in the darkness with my friends. If this was kid music, gimme MORE! In the genre of kid music, our preferences ranged from Laurie Berkner, the Wiggles (whom I tolerate), the Limeliters, and of course, the much loved songs of Music Together. Add to that the music of Mr. David, and now we've found something we all we can all groove to! 

Friends brag that they and their children listen to the same hipster music. "No kid music for us," they say. I, on the other hand, do want my kids to listen to kid music. I want them to really experience childhood. I want preschoolers, not teenagers. The hipster music can wait, at least that's what I told myself.  I rarely listen to music these days anyway (don't even know what's "in"), tuning in to news programming instead. But when Mr. David rocked our preschool that day, I was smitten and so were my kids. It's hipster music for kids (aka alternative children's music), sure, but I can't deny the power of live music to instill a love of music in children. It's a nice middle ground. The East Coast may have Dan Zanes and They Might Be Giants but we in the Bay Area have Mr. David, live and in-person!  I think it's his accessibility that appeals to me most. 

So I we began following him around, chasing his appearances at libraries, birthday parties and special events. I have my hopes set on winning a Mr. David birthday package at the upcoming Gemini Crickets auction. Winning would mean that I'd also have to rent a jumpy house. I'd crank up this song, toss my kids into the jumpy house and set the repeat button until my kids beg ask for their naps. Basically, I'll be bidding on a guaranteed nap time and that, to me, is priceless! Every kid jumps to this song. Every kid. And every, ahem, mom.

"Look at all the MOMS! Hahaha..."

Somehow, my boys and I managed to slip into a taping of Mr. David's new single, Rainbow of Butterflies. I feel like a groupie with a backstage pass. We memorized the lyrics by watching this video and yes, that's me (briefly, at 44 seconds) grooving in the background with the other moms. Yes and haha, we did look silly but boy did I have fun. (So did my kids!) This coming Saturday, I'll be purchasing this CD by the armful. I'm thinking birthday gifts! And you know I'll be practicing my new moves to this song in front of the mirror.  Mr. David rocks and so (work with me here), do I!

Original Silicon Valley Moms Blog post. Akemi pretends to be hip on her personal blog, Chalk and Cheese Chronicles.