The leaves are covering the ground-blanket style as we start to finish this record. We are recording the bulk of it at Tarquin studios in Bridgeport, CT with Peter Katis (Interpol, The National, The Grates). As always, because we are totally doting parents and we think that our daughter is already a musical prodigy even if her songs make no sense, we decided to bring her in for an hour in hopes to catch her cute, helium singing on the mic.
When Magnolia got to the studio, she was obviously tired (red eyes, cranky, etc). It was getting close to bedtime (first red flag). I asked her to hold a mic and sing. She of course, wanted a more expensive, silver mirophone which I refused to let her use and therefore frustrated her and immediately spawned heavy whining (second red flag). Then, when I finally got her to put the headphones on and sing into the right microphone, she wouldn't sing anything. Silence. After more adult prompting.... more silence.
This whole time, she had a pen in her hand and at this point, all she wanted to do was draw on a small piece of paper she found. I ignored this fact because it was time to record! (third red flag). I started singing "twinkle twinkle" with her to prompt her (once more) into song. No reaction. She stared at me while I started up on "twinkle, twinkle" again and then, out of nowhere (well not really out of nowhere) SHE STABBED ME IN THE MOUTH WITH HER PEN.
I was dumbfounded for a brief second and then immediately embarrassed. I totally deserved it. She got in trouble for stabbing me ( I asked her why she did it, and I was stern, etc) and then she launched into full crying session. I told her I was sorry for making her sing when she didn't want to sing. I had just tried to exploit her and therefore eased her right into preschool tantrum mode. Never again will I force my child into singing or doing anything she doesn't want to do for the sake of our artistic endeavors.
She was calm and happy again once my mom gave her some gummies for the ride home. But, I suffered a harsh awakening. How could I act like such a stage mom? I had a bloody lip to show for my ignorance. We got it all on tape but I haven't heard it yet. For the record, I've never been stabbed or even hit by my child before or after this incident. That's reeeeeally out of character for her.
Attention artist and musician parents, don't exploit your children. We all say we won't do it ever, we'd never stoop that low and then before you know it there we are forcing them to lay some blood on our tracks.
She's making her own record now. She tells us when to hit record and we give her absolutely no direction.
And it's snowing.