Susan Senator
All happy families are not alike...
All happy families are not alike...
Grok Band
We bought Max and Ben Rock Band last week, to celebrate a successful and difficult school year for both of them. I had hoped that this would be something that we could all do together, and so far, it is turning out that way. On Tuesday I got up the courage to sing, creating an avatar for myself: Lilia. She looks a little like me twenty years ago. Today I earned enough money to buy her some new, outrageous threads. Suddenly there I was, cybershopping for clothes and wondering if this looked okay or not, while Max, Ned, Hannah, and Ben looked on and laughed.
Max and Hannah switch off on guitar and drums, and they are both really good already. I find the guitar kind of hard to do; maybe it’s because I play a real guitar and I’m doing too much with this mini one (?) Maybe I just suck. Ned tried some drumming the other day and looked like a hot rocker with his long shaggy hair and ultra-confident attitude. Mm — mm, good.
Ben plays drums very well and now has gotten up the nerve to share some of my voice solos, especially the freestyle parts. He’s a little too soft or too loud, though. He shouted right in my ear before and it still feels fuzzy. I have tried to entice Nat to come in and play with us, and he obliges, perched on Max’s bed, but I suspect it is just not his bag, man.
Rock Band is a lot of family fun. I highly recommend it as a way to connect a little with your teenagers. Also, you can pretend to be a rocker, and, come on, you know you want to. Remember the Partridge Family? 
I was Laurie, my sister was David Cassidy. We played it with our cousins. Rock Band is this generations’s version of Partridge Family. You even get to buy a bus after you’ve earned enough bread.
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Susan,
the Partridge family sure brings back memories.I remember singing “I think I love you” to the neighborhood at the age of 10 with my best David Cassidy impersonation,while the kids across the street backed me up with tiny guitars and drum sets.Those were fun times!
Marchiomi
I suck at rock band, but my autie looooooooves to bang on the drums and watch my husband play guitar. He also quite enjoys moshing with the “audience.”
I hear Wii fit is also a big hit with kiddos on the spectrum.
My 15-year-old son and I love playing Rock Band together. The only problem is that he’s way better than I am, thereby upsetting my delicate “The Father Shall Always Be Better At Everything” ego.
: )
In all seriousness, it’s a blast. Sing like nobody’s listening, Susan!
Let’s see the avatar!
Now Susan, can all those moms with little babies and toddlers in strollers(that you’re always talking about) play rock band with their children? Sounds like you had a great time. Different ages bring different fun things to do and opportunities for enjoyment with our children, at that particular time. You’ve just found another one of them.
Yazz quien sabe I dunno, but I tell yer this much I can leave monsieur Ian Anderson standing on one leg or whatever 🙂
That sounds great! Although I can imagine a lot of ear-plugging going on with my twins. They are still in the Wiggles/Barney stage.
I was a very big Partridge Family fan. I was the strange kid with a crush on Danny(!?)
We have incorporated Rock Band right into ABA therapy. It is a good way for Chance to practice disappointment if he happens to lose. He is very judgemental of himself, which isn’t hard if his percentage is bad..or less than that of my husband, depending on difficulty. He just started singing yesterday, which I have been encouraging him to do. His favorites are Dead or Alive, Black Hole Sun, and Creep. -Tina G.