Making music is a wonderful thing. Even more incredible to think that the likes of Britney Spears, Stevie Wonder and Celine Dion signed up with major music labels while still in primary school. Yes, the musical gene can be alive and thriving from a very young age, but unfortunately, it’s not a skill that swims in the Clifton family gene pool. Not that this stops us from trying.
Let’s start with our little boy Charlie who is three years old and full of confidence (and usually chocolate).
His fave tune at present is one band and one band only; Australia’s fave export. Move over Hugh Jackman and make way for (drum roll please) The Wiggles. On more than one occasion, I have woken in the middle of the night with the earworm “I like to eat, eat, eat – opals and ba-nay-nays” gnawing into me.
The skivvy-wearing supergroup has been many Aussie kids’ introduction to music for decades now. Long live The Wiggles.
Now to the musical styling of Miss Matilda, our eight year- old mini-Madonna. Actually, scrap that. I’ve seen Madonna film clips… let’s just say Matilda is slightly more mature than The Wiggles in her music taste.
Lately, anything that goes wild on TikTok is her tune of choice. How she even knows what TikTok is dumbfounds me.
Back in my day, they were called Tick Tacks #dadjoke.
For the 30-somethings out there, I’m happy to report that 90’s classic Barbie Girl is also getting a run alongside Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling” and Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” Classic stuff.
Now back to the actual making of tunes. Do my kids love all the aforementioned music? Hell yes.
Do any of us Cliffos’ have the ability to make the music? Hell no.
Does this stop us from trying? Again, that’s a big no.
But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter because any family lucky enough to dance around the lounge room banging on pots and pans or dancing and singing the wrong words to an Ed Sheeran song is a lucky family in my book.
This is the stuff we will remember when we are old and grey because these are truly beautiful memories.
I just have to find a way to get the kids in front of those big red chairs on The Voice. Surely those coaches would spin around for the “Clifton Family Band”… or maybe not?
