Depending on who you ask, actually.. strike that. It doesn't matter who you ask. I have never been "cool" with the 10-18 year old crowd. Especially when it comes to music. (I mean, I grew up with Cajun Alligator Stomp and I got a cow that slobbers bad from the Ozarks.) But as the music teacher of several very cool kids, I am having to learn to stay relevant.
I suppressed a chuckle when an 8th grader requested to learn a Nick Jonas tune, but I dug in and learned it too. Shortly after she brought in her Justin Bieber CD, we ordered sheet music, and now I find myself randomly humming his song as I walk down the street. Several elementary students have begged me to let them learn a Lady Gaga tune, so I have now learned Poker Face and Bad Romance.
Way to go, me. I thought. You are successfully crossing the generational divide to make music accessible to these kids. AND YOU ARE COOL.
And then last week, a 5-year old student was chanting/singing, "Boom, boom, boom. Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon." And I beamed at her. "Elise!" I said. "Did you make that up?" Her brother rolled his eyes at me. "That's Katy Perry."
In this day and age, you can only be cool for a second. At least that's what I'm telling myself.
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