All I Want for Christmas is my VH 1984 Album Back!
We parents get to witness and fund the many phases of our children’s lives. For me, it started with the Wiggles, Thomas the Train, and Caillou. At some point, it switched to Michael Jackson, then Spiderman, and shortly thereafter, the WWE followed MJ and Spidey. Oh, and I can’t forget Minecraft. Minecraft was the gateway drug to Madden and Fortnight. Football cards were expensively rushed in, but that’s fading, and Christmas 2024 helped my son usher in the latest phase. Records. The vinyl ones.
He asked for it, and Santa came up with a portable record player. And these things have changed. Today’s record player connects to Bluetooth, so it can be played on wireless external speakers or AirPods. And on Christmas day, when my son and I sat in the living room listening to the sounds the turntable produced, I have to admit that I was kinda pissed that I can’t remember what happened to my Van Halen II album – the one that featured Dance the Night Away. Or, 1984 – the absolute best of VH in the DLR era.
The kid couldn’t wait to play a record. We unboxed the player, and he was ready to go with Kanye. I gave him a quick tutorial about the needle, how dust can mess things up, and why scratches on records are simply not good. When the first song was playing, it was pretty easy to hear when the needle encountered a speck of dust. My son looked puzzled and asked what was wrong with it. And this made me laugh. I had to break it to him – that records, as cool as they are went away because they aren’t as convenient as the modes of musical replay that replaced them. I said, “Dude. That’s why records suck.” They are too big to carry around, and they have to be treated like crystal glass.
Oh, the Inspiration
For fun, I played Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious on the Mary Poppins Album that I have. And a Sinatra tune on an old album – it's not vinyl. It’s heavy, like clay or something. He took his noise upstairs so he could FaceTime his friends with it, and I was left to remember getting my first cassette. My Grandmother and I were at a store in Niagara Falls called Gold Circle. It was a Department Store that didn’t make it. My grandmother bought me two cassettes – Chicago 17 and Crazy from the Heat (David Lee Roth Solo). I know damn well that this Christmas, my kiddo felt the same way I did on the day that I became a proud cassette owner. And the records are back.
A thing of note here is how much people love music. If you wanna smile, watch the video of 80,000 Bills fans screaming the lyrics of Mr. Brightside at Highmark Stadium. Or go to the Harp on a Sunday and see everyone dancing to the SHOUT song every time they score. A ticket to see Tay Tay is like 500 bucks. I guess it was even more expensive to see Pavarotti do his thing when he was alive. Me. I want to see the Pops sometime. I’ve been in Massachusetts for two decades and talk about it every holiday season. They aren’t even expensive – but they sell out. I just looked, and only three tickets are available for tomorrow night’s show.
I am prepping for New Year’s Eve—practicing some dance moves and refreshing my memory for the words to Auld Lang Syne. That song would be best performed by Bono of U2. Bono, if you are reading, will you please? New Year’s Eve is all about the music, and Mariah Carey has had the midnight song in the bag for at least the past decade. I love music – but not all types. Travis Scott, Yeat, and Don Tolliver will take some getting used to.
Music is a universal thread that ties together generations, experiences, and memories. Well, sometimes. My dad made me throw away my Metal Health album because he didn’t like the picture on the cover. But as a parent, watching my son discover vinyl records this Christmas reminded me of how we cycle through phases in life, each leaving an indelible mark. What started as weirdo Wiggles tunes and cartoon theme songs evolved into Kanye beats and Sinatra classics, each stage capturing a unique chapter of growth and connection.
As we prepare to welcome 2025, I gotta reflect on how much parenting and education have in common with this evolution of musical phases. Both require patience and the willingness to adapt. Both involve introducing kids to the fundamentals – whether it’s teaching them to respect the fragility of a record needle or fostering a love of reading and curiosity in the classroom. Both remind us that progress is a dance between old and new, between the timeless and the cutting-edge.
Education in 2025 is blending technology and tradition, preparing kids for a world that moves as fast as the latest TikTok trend but still values foundational skills like critical thinking and empathy. As educators and parents, we’re like the record players – helping our littles discover the beauty in clarity, the lessons in imperfections, and the importance of treating life with care and respect.
There is a lot to feel good about when January 1st, 2025, hits. We’re raising a generation of curious, resilient, and full of potential kids. They’ll make new playlists, build new systems, and craft a world that reflects their voices. So, this year, I’ll be raising my glass to the music of parenting and the harmony of watching my son grow into his next phase.