This is the part where Daddy Plays Bass

     Throughout this pregnancy, Tina has been aware that Esme could hear many of the songs that form the soundtrack to our lives.  Of particular note was the evening in the last week when I played bass right in front of Tina's belly.  We definitely got a few kicks, and Tina even claimed some of them were in time with the 12 bar blues I was playing.  I followed that up, just for fun, with my didjeridu (thanks Odette!) and that got quite a response also.
     We also knew that we wanted to be able to set a mood for the delivery, so we were prepared with the music on my iPod.  Early on, we were listening to the Guitar Trio of Paco de Lucia, Al di Meola, and John McLaughlin.  Later in the day, we had the 1920's gypsy violin sounds of Stéphane Grappelli.  Tina and the doctor actually got into quite a discussion that resolved with them agreeing it reminded them of the soundtrack to a Woody Allen movie.
     For some reason, I had begun wondering about the first song our child would hear.  I wonder what the first song she remembers listening to will be.  I wonder what kind of music she'll love, and what kinds she'll enjoy.  Music feels like such a large part of my life, and I would like to pass that heritage on to my daughter.  I can at least let her know for certain the first song she ever heard with her own ears without a womb to muffle the sound.  It was soon after her birth, before they left her alone with us for a bit.  
     The following paragraph has been added to Esme's Arrival, but instead of making you go back and read that whole narrative to find it, I'll just give it to you here:


     As folks began to clear out of the room, I heard strains of music and singing in my head, almost as if I were wearing headphones:  "Four in the morning, Crapped out, yawning, Longing my life away."  As it was (around) four in the morning, I was crapped out and yawning, I suddenly knew the first song Esme would hear outside of the womb.  Once again, my iPod came out and I flipped through to find it.  And again, my brain wasn't quite working to full capacity and I could not think of the title of the song.  As I flipped through song titles, I could almost hear snippets of each song as if someone were tuning an old radio.  The correct notes finally came through and I pressed play on "Still Crazy After All These Years."  I followed it with "Father and Daughter" from Surprise somewhere along the way.