In a Band

Yep, that's right, I'm in a band. A Rock Band!

Rock Band is a series of music video games developed by Harmonix Music Systems and MTV Games, and allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular rock music songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments.

Players can play the lead guitar, bass guitar, and drums parts to songs with "instrument controllers", as well as sing through a microphone. Players are scored on their ability to match scrolling musical "notes" while playing instruments, or by their ability to match the singer's pitch on vocals.

The primary mode of play is a "Band World Tour" mode. After choosing a band name and hometown city, the band members can create their own rock characters, as well as a band logo. Once setup is complete, the band can begin playing concerts in small venues in their hometown until they unlock vans, tour buses and private jets, which unlock more cities and different continents.

So I was 'on tour' tonight with Kermit's Cleavage - the name Kyle came up with for the band. He (lead guitar) & I (bass) with our created characters, played until my fingers were sore and the night was late, but the band made some 'money' and we toured several different locales. We had a lot of fun spending time together and more importantly making memories.

I know there are many pros and cons to these games. Sure the music is loud, the lyrics are questionable, but for me, it's a time when I can connect with my kids.

If you'd rather, you can always keep your head in the sand and pretend your kids are not listening to this style of music, but I would rather listen to it with them, giving us opportunity for discussion. If I've learned one thing with teenage kids, it's that by having a better understanding of where they are and what they are doing, it allows me the freedom to have open communication and helps to build our relationships.

Blessings