Swimming Upstream: “Are You A Fuddy-Duddy About Music?”

If one word can describe the generation divide between parents and children, it is this one: music.

My parents enjoyed hearing Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Ernest Tubbs, Red Foley and Tex Ritter. I liked the Beatles, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, Bobby Dylan,Joan Baez, Buffalo Springfield and the Grass Roots. So, these words were often spoken to me, “Turn that music down. How can you possibly like that clatter?”

What did my son like? Ozzie Osbourne. Kiss. Billy Idol. Queen. And what did he hear from me? “Turn that music down. How can you possibly like that clatter?”

Now, music disagreements are a normal irratation between parents and children as each struggles to relate to the other’s tastes. But what’s interesting is that this is a problem with different Christian generations, too.

Old-time Pentecostals still are turned on by foot-stomping “Power in the Blood” piano music … and turned off by the new-fandangled stuff. Those growing up during the Vineyard Music era believe worship music is the only music to listen to…as in – the only anointed music on earth.

And then, there’s my son who likes Third Day and Need to Breathe.

All of this came about because I sent a Jerry Williams /Harvest CD to my son. I thought this 1993 music would show me as being hip in his eyes. His reply, “Dad, one or two are okay, but they are out of date.”

Out of date, I thought. How can good stuff like that be out of date? What’s wrong with him?

Then, he sent me a Third Day CD and a link to Need to Breathe’s Myspace site. And oh boy! Their music was different than my classical music tastes. As in ear shattering, brain shaking different.

Thus, I had a dilemma. I liked a certain style of music, but I wanted to relate to my son and his generation’s music. What could I do?

I prayed and asked the Holy Spirit, “Give me a love for my son’s music.”

Then, I sent an email to my son explaining that I was not an old fuddy-duddy when it came to music. His email reply:

I agree that you’re not a fuddy-duddy. You have a fair bit of fuddy in you…but you’re several years away from full-blown fuddy-duddy.

So, what about you? Are you a fuddy or a full-blown fuddy-duddy when it comes to Christian music? Can you adapt to the new sounds from heaven for the different generations of believers?

Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s  a little of this and a little of that, all written  to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian journeys.