'Cher, what songs do you listen to?

Ok, i admit. i rack my brain for an answer each time students ask me that.
I mean, why do they care what music i listen to anyway? Are they gonna sing me a song of my choice? Buy me an album? Naa-aaah. Truth is, people judge you on your taste in music. It's almost like a personality test - your genre determines if you're cool/ mass-market/ edgy/ sophisticated/ ancient/ weird/ pathetic. So people ask about your favourite genre to size you up and figure out what "type" you are. Y'know, like how we would judge a grown woman (or man) who's always in pink?

Way back, there were songs i enjoyed but was slightly embarrassed to admit.
I SAID i liked Nirvana, Guns N Roses, Michael Jackson, coz in those days, it gave you some street cred. And i did like them, except i was equally happy listening to Spice Girls (even watched the movie), F4 (went for the concert), MLTR (what, stop pretending you don't know what that is. i bet you know the words to 25minutes as well as i do!) and Take That (Howard fan! Coz he had a scruffy look, and everyone else was going for Mark Owen n Robbie Williams).

But today, being all of 31, it's unbecoming to let the expectations of others dictate what you (say you) listen to. So when i'm asked THE QUESTION, i say "i just listen to... well, whatever i'm listening to." Such a non-answer, right? But it IS the truth.
Here's what i listen to these days... the 4 Cs...

1. Children songs... esp Barney!

And for the uninitiated, it's not just the I-love-you-you-love-me song. They've got really fun songs for everything! My current favourite is the Raindrops song!

If all the raindrops are lemon drops and gum drops
Oh what a rain that would be
Standing outside with my mouth open wide
a a a a a a a a a a
If all the raindrops are lemon drops and gum drops
Oh what a rain that would be

If all the snow flakes are candy bars and milk shakes
Oh what a snow that would be
Standing outside with my mouth open wide
a a a a a a a a a a
If all the snow flakes are candy bars and milk shakes
Oh what a snow that would be




youtube video from crystaltears86


Don't scoff! Just imagine how thrilling that would be! It's almost as lovely as my all-time fantasies of Ben-n-Jerry Mountain and Giant Chocolate Bunny! Plus the tune is so exuberant, it's hard not to love. Even Celeste sings along at the a-a-a-a- part!

2. Classical Music
Daddy used to take kor and me to the SSO, but at that time, we liked it for the side-thrills. Like coughing at the intermissions, playing "see who laughs out first" while watching the Conductor's dramatic actions, and of course, the lovely Tau-huay-zui, you-tiao and shao-bing at Geylang after the concert.
Then when I was expecting Glory, i listened to it coz it's supposed to be good for her. We also used it as a car-music when Glory was 0-6 months old - she'd scream and cry if we listened to pop or heavens forbid, techno-ey stuff, but she was nice and easy if we had the car stereo tuned in to 92.4.
These days, my room stereo is tuned in to 92.4 coz i think i should make it up to Celeste, coz she didn't get her in-vitro dose of Classicals.
3.Class 95.
There was a time in my youth when listening to Class 95 made me feel depressed. I'm serious. Maybe it's the emo-teenaged phase, but i swore then that i would never listen to Class 95.
Until i grew up (old) and found the 987 songs noisy and tuneless. (sheesh. exactly what my mummy said about the songs i liked...)
So that's where my car stereo is tuned into these days.
And at home too. Charisma used to blast 987, but i would turn the volume down.  Then she discovered that when she plays Class 95, i don't mind the volume, and i'd even happily sing along. So now she sets the living room radio to Class 95.
4. Christian songs
In the car, we play a Kids Worship DVD, and Glory sings along happily. Yes, she knows the lyrics. She knows the images that go along with each song. And she decides which songs belong to her, henceforth known as her Favourites, and you are NOT to sing along unless given specific permission by Her Royal Highness, Teacher Glory. She is very kind, of course, and selects some songs to be YOUR favourite, and for those songs, you have the liberty of singing along when it plays. *roll eyes*

So my dear students, it's not that i was trying to act all mysterious and evasive when you ask me a simple question like "what music do you listen to". I really don't have a good answer. 
But i guess from now on, i'll just say my favourite songs are Barney songs, and offer to sing The Raindrops Song for you. After all that's the song i find myself singing in the shower.