Music Theory 101

Earlier this evening I was driving Rachel to a "pajama party" that a couple of the teachers from St. James do once a month. The kids get to come to school in their jammies and play with their friends, watch movies, eat popcorn, &c., while their parents get some time to themselves. Lisa and I often use these as date nights; I'd signed Rachel up for this one before we knew for certain when she'd be going to Africa, and I figured I shouldn't pass up the opportunity for a few hours of me time.

As we were driving to school, at Rachel's request I warbled my way through "Over the Rainbow," and then she asked if I wanted to hear some "Hello Kitty" music. I said "sure," and she began improvising a bouncy, cheerful song whose lyrics I couldn't reproduce on a bet, but it was an amalgam of "Over the Rainbow," "Yesterday" and some of her own words about friendship, rainbows and finding tomorrow today.

"That was an up-tune," she said when she was done, using Sweet Adelines lingo for their livelier songs. "Now would you like to hear a soothing ballad?"

Um, sure thing, kid. So she sang another song that lyrically was much the same as the first except slower and somewhat more melodious.

"Was that soothing?" she asked when she was done. It sure was, sweetheart.

(Clearly, all the music she's exposed to, mainly from Lisa singing to her or playing her CDs, is making an impact.)