Teachers aren't Yoda

Teachers aren't Yoda. Their only purpose is not to guide us, the students, on our respective journeys. They have lives, too, and bills and friends and families and sometimes they even go out on the weekends. I think that we sometimes forget that. They probably weren't groomed from birth to be a teacher, their fate solid from the time they started lecturing their fellow three-year-olds: they've probably had a tumultuous journey. Maybe some did know they wanted to be a teacher, certain by the time they left high school that they would end up there again. Or maybe they didn't even want to be a teacher. Maybe they wanted to be a musician, or a marine biologist, or a writer, and they ended up teaching by (happy) accident. (Do you think Yoda had musical preferences?)
   Either way, teachers do listen to music. I have proof.
   I started by asking some of my favorites what music reminds them of their childhood. I talked to Ms. Self, my AP English Lit. teacher, and Mr. Moore, my AP Biology teacher. Ms. Self said protest-y folk music. Mr. Moore said that songs from Captain Kangaroo reminded him of his childhood, so of course I had to go home and look that up. It was this old PBS show that ran from 1955 to 1984, and it was kind of adorable, though the main character had a terrifying mustache. My childhood was full of Hillary Duff, who I cringe to listen to now, and Billy Joel, who I still love.

Here he is with a rock for some reason.

    Mr. Moore's favorite artist is Chris Tomlin, a contemporary Christian singer, which kind of surprised me. For whatever reason, I never really thought of Mr. Moore as religious. Ms. Self's favorite song was "Roll With the Changes" by REO Speedwagon. I actually really like REO Speedwagon, I grew up listening to them, though my favorite song by them is definitely "One Lonely Night". 

I was going to show a picture of the band members, but the hair was just too bad.

 My favorite song of all time, though, is probably "The Boxer". It was originally done by Simon and Garfunkel, which is amazing, but I'm in love with the Jerry Douglas and Mumford and Sons version. If you haven't heard it, you need to. 

     Next, I asked Mr. Moore about controversial music when he was growing up and he said that Elvis used to be considered offensive. I probably shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. It's interesting that all the pelvis thrusting, the shimmying and shaking Elvis was famous for, just kind of seems tame now. I mean, compared to Miley Cirus, Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines", and "Anaconda", simulating sex onstage really just doesn't have the same shock factor it used to. 

Sorry, Elvis. Maybe try sticking out your tongue more?

     Finally, we talked about dislikes. Mr. Moore doesn't like dirty rap, which is understandable. For me, though, sometimes I need some Afroman, Dirty Heads, Lil Wayne, Tupac. It's a palate cleanser, like pickled ginger for sushi, but with expletives. I don't get offended easily, and the innuendos are just too clever to pass up. Ms. Self doesn't like country, a disdain we share. Country is the bane of my soul. Too dramatic? Maybe, but the hate is real. Its never-ending presence at my work is literally the worst part, and I work in a fast food place. I feel bad dismissing an entire genre, but there are very few songs I can stand to listen to on country stations. I love folk and bluegrass, but country... Never.