One F in Foley: Musical instruments for Christmas … absolutely!

Maybe it’s because the secondary school I currently work in recently brought in a ban on pupils using mobile phones, or maybe it’s because of certain conversations I’ve had in the corridors with some of the kids. Who knows? But, I dare say it, but teenagers are becoming more creative-minded as a result.

Christmas usually means hearing that never-ending Mariah Carey song non-stop for the next few weeks, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some kids started as the Man in Red for something more musical than gadgety. Not all. Definitely not all, but maybe a few more than in the past.

Music Being Everywhere
Music is not just for the gifted and talented youngsters anymore. Society has perhaps been a little guilty of tagging families who sent their little darling to piano or violin lessons as always being of a more upper-middle-class background. Music is something that is made available everywhere nowadays.

As much as I miss nupping into the now non-existent Music Centrepo shop that used to sit on the corner of the Market Square here in town, I simply can’t blame the internet for ruining everything anymore. For music at least, it’s become the greatest ever educational tool that any aspiring music enthusiast could ever have.

In and around the school, kids will stop and happily tell me that they play guitar or that they love to sing. They’ll tell me about bands from the 90s that their parents got them into and how they are planning to give a recital of ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ for their upcoming music practical.

Things like that warm my heart. Not only are the students so openly expressive about bands and pop stars that they look up to, but it becomes even more impressive that they don’t worry about being made fun of for liking groups that some call ‘dad music’.

Now, I’m still fairly certain they have crushes on some teeny-bop singer whom I’ve never heard of, but when it comes down to the nitty and gritty of the music, a lot of them are all for the stuff that we millennials and Gen X’ers grew up with. And that leads me down another rabbit hole of thought.

Gadgets Can Help
I’m assuming that through the likes of YouTube and Spotify, the parents of these kids can easily show them and play them the nostalgic concert performances and songs from their own past. ‘Wait till ya see love, all the crowd going wild and not a single mobile phone in sight,’ could be a recurring sentence in those moments.

Having seen and created videos on it myself, apps like TikTok are full to the brim of many at-home musicians who post content of themselves playing or providing tuition, free of charge. There are a lot of them who have no interest in selling you anything; they just want to share their music with a like-minded audience.

While I’m certainly not saying that everyone online is a heavenly angel, and kids above all others need supervision and guidance on these apps, there are still plenty of content-creating musicians who can inspire and motivate any budding guitarist. Well, for any instrument or singing activity, really.

It’s often said that the younger generation are glued to their phone screens, and yes, there is a truth in that sentiment. Mind you, there are plenty of people well over the age of 21 who are like that, too. I will admit to myself that I’ve had more than my fair share of lazy days on the sofa, scrolling like there’s no tomorrow.

Better Ways
It’s worth remembering, though, that technology such as this enables many of us to find a new path of musical interest. Instead of listening to aul timers like us harping on about music used to be so much better - which it was - the youngsters can now access it so easily and decide for themselves.

On a grander scope, maybe it’s a generational thing. Even as I write this article on my desktop computer, the room I’m in has an Oasis bucket hat hanging off a bedpost, a CD cover of the Eagles on the locker, and a calendar of the Beatles hanging on the wall.

The latter of those two groups most certainly had their best days well and truly behind them well before I was even born. It must’ve been something passed down to me by my parents from the days when we’d have the old cassettes and vinyls about the house.

So, if your wee one looks for an instrument or something similar, I’d definitely recommend getting behind that.

Now, without any further ado, I might lift my own six-string pony and get a wee jam in. After that last bit I mentioned, maybe a wee bit of ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’ (released 12 years before I was born!) would suit rightly. ‘Dad music’ is great, isn’t it?