Traditional Country Music DOES sooth the savage beast!

We have the soon to be 2 year old grandson with us this week. Yesterday we were putting some music from CD’s to cassette tapes because the older car we drive for good gas mileage just has a tape player. So here we sit in the dining room eating toddler approved fish sticks, tater tots, hush puppies, and black eye peas and Merle is singing Rainbow Stew and Rambling Fever from the living room. When we finish up Cota asks to get down so I wipe his face and hands and help him out of his chair. I start clearing the table and after the first quick trip into the kitchen and back I realize he’s not right there as usual and I peek into the living room. There he sits . . . in his Spiderman chair, head laid back on the little built in Spiderman pillow, and his foot just a taping on the floor – in beat to the music. After a few moments he must of felt me standing there because he turned his head toward me. His eyes locked onto mine and he smiled a big smile, pointed to the CD player where it was copying over onto the tape and said, “Daddy!” His Daddy, Jesse, often sits around after supper with the guitar and plays and sings . . and often Merle Haggard. I just smiled and said, “Yep, that’s just like your Daddy!” He sat there the entire time it took me to do kitchen duty and make that tape.

It is true. Traditional country music does sooth the savage beast and the average toddler.

When I tucked him in last night I told him all about how we were doing our Front Porch Picking today. He LOVES the monthly Pickings because he will play his little harmonica and sing along with us, just like his grandpa did when he was a little boy, and his daddy did as well. Plus Cota grabs the hand of whoever will dance with him and gets out there in the yard and dances to those good ole traditional country songs. He loves the peppy ones where he can get out some of that toddler energy. I’m all for whatever gets out his toddler energy! Ha, ha. He does, however, back off and give the “floor” to those who enjoy the slower songs. He is just so cute because when the music ends he just claps those little hands in pure joy. THAT is what TCMA Upstate is all about. Introducing traditional country music to ALL generations to experience.

If you have some time this afternoon, be sure and come by and join us from 2 – 4 p.m. at the Front Porch Picking in Honea Path. If you need directions, call us at 864-640-6555. RJ