Music Writing: Indie Parents

When it comes to children, Whitney Houston and I have a similar opinion: We both believe that we “need a man who'll take a chance on a love that burns hot enough to last.” No wait – that’s our shared opinion on wanting to dance with somebody, and ultimately feeling the heat with that somebody. Never mind. I have been thinking a lot about kids lately though – not as in, me thinking about having kids. I mean, it’s fine for some people, but I don’t want that kind of life for myself. But my sister and her wife are expecting their first child in July – this will make me an aunt for the very first time. When I think of this, I alternate between a sense of awe and being drunk on the power my influence will yield over their child. I pretty much think I was born to play the part of the cool aunt. Also, frequent exposure to me lessens the chance that when said child encounters another short haired woman, that he will either ask her or whisper to one of his moms, “Is that a boy or a girl?” I love that this has happened to me more than once.

So thinking about kids, particularly ways I can share my passion for music with my nephew, is what stemmed the idea for my first feature for Detour: Indie folk and their kids. I wasn’t totally sure what angle to go with, but after talking with some folks and getting such interesting and thoughtful answers, I decided to just feature a handful of people who are involved with and/or love Detroit music in some way and see what role that love of music plays in their relationship with their offspring. We had so much fun with it that Detour has declared that this is part one of an ongoing series. So if there are some music moms and dads in Detroit you think would be good for a piece like this let me know – I’d love to get your feedback.