I showed The Dormouse the We Are the World video this morning because she's been learning the song in her school choir for their Tribute to Michael Jackson concert and I figured it was high time she realize that Michael Jackson wasn't the only person who sang that on that record.  She was full of shock and awe to learn that there were literally scores of people on that stage and the whole thing was actually Harry Belafonte's idea. She might have an awesome music teacher, but that music teacher probably didn't watch Live Aid on TV at her boyfriend's house in 1985 as a teenager, so I can probably still teach her a thing or two.

There are several things that made me happy about this short interaction:

 1. Both The Dormouse and The Caterpillar loved the song. (I... actually... do not.  But it is a part of the soundtrack of my youth, so I'll take it.)

2. I successfully named every artist who had a cameo/solo line in that video, with the exception of Dionne Warwick, whose name had escaped me because I have always mixed her name up with Diana Ross' and once I actually said "Diana Ross" out loud, that name stuck in my brain, blocking the other one out, and all I could spit out was, "She hadalotta psychic friends."  The Dormouse had no frame of reference for this comment.

3. The Dormouse didn't know who many of the artists were by sight, but once I named them, she recognized about half.

 4. The Dormouse did not know who Ray Charles was when his solo came up, but she listened to him sing for a couple of seconds and then successfully noted that Louis Armstrong was probably one of his influences.  Let me reiterate: My nine-year old daughter knows Louis Armstrong (born in 1901) better than Ray Charles (born in 1930).  If there were ever a question that she might not really be mine and was switched with another baby at the hospital, this would have set everyone's minds at ease.

 Once the video ended, both girls went off to perform it to the stuffed animals in The Caterpillar's room and raise some imaginary money for charity while I went back to my work.  It was just a moment. But moments like this remind me that while I may not be an excellent mother with the ability to raise strong, confident and successful children who will contribute to society, at least they'll have a well-rounded music education.  

However, she had no idea who Huey Lewis was, so clearly there is much more to do.