Sleep away camp and the great music debacle

I got an email yesterday. Bags are being picked up next FRIDAY! Okay I am sure you are all laughing because your kid/kids are all set. Trunks packed, everything labeled, medical forms in, etc. Probably been done for weeks. I have news for you. I have not washed the sheets, labeled the sheets, turned in my medical forms, sharpied the towels, bought all the necessary equipment or packed 1 trunk. I have this weekend, right? NOPE. It’s the kid’s birthday. Sure can’t be spending my time doing all that stuff. Which means I have 4 days. 4 days to get it all done. Now the main issue is the music situation. The kid is getting a Nano for his birthday from all of his friends. It’s the only thing I will allow him to take electronically to camp and the camp will allow as well. If the camp allowed “other” devices, my son would be sleeping at another camp the rest of this summer in another state. The IPOD was the first question I asked about when I starting touring the camps. “Do you allow any other devices besides IPOD?” If the answer was yes, later alligator. I am a firm believer in the traditions of camp and I wholeheartedly take big issue with camps that allow those devices. Okay, enough of my rant. I am very excited for this new “nano”. I hope he uses it to death! Now the stress of the gift is that I would like to upload every single song I think is “camp” worthy on it. Can you even comprehend how long that is going to take me? I actually would ask my brother to do it but he is sipping some fancy cocktail on the other side of the country. SO I am left with my Itunes Library and the IPod. I know I HAVE to put on that frickin Icona Pop song but I pray he listens to it, like ONCE.

I will sneak in Youngblood Hawke and Edward Sharpe but he will have an extensive playlist of Zeppelin, U2, Neil Young, Floyd, James Taylor, Queen among others. My biggest concern (can’t believe I am writing this) is not if he makes friends on the bus or he changes his underwear but that he will come home with a new appreciation for good music. My husband and I have been trying to school him in music for some time but it’s a hard thing to embed in a 9-year-old boy.  Especially when all his peers know every top 10 Billboard hit by heart. We have been having an ongoing debate whether or not  the artists and songs we consider classic will be relevant to our kids?  Isn’t that what we are paying 11k a year for? To ensure our son knows every word to Captain Jack and Comfortably numb. If my son does not come home knowing at least of those songs I will know times have really changed. Look, all kids love pop music. It’s made for them. But there is something about being a million miles from home, in the woods, sitting around a fire with a bunch of kids your own age singing a classic song like Captain Jack.  Some of our friends say no shot, Some of our friends agree. What do you think? Do you have a kid in sleep away now who has come to have a better appreciation of music? Do they know the song Captain Jack? Please help me feel better!

Also can you help me come up with a 5 hour bus ride playlist? What are the MUST HAVE songs? 4 days to do this and my library is only so full! I know most of you must have some kind of input.  Whenever I hear Bat out of Hell it brings me right back to camp. I can picture every minute of the song. All of us screaming at the top of our lungs . There is a song that brings each one of you right back to camp, what song is it? artist?

P.S. To those of you who bought ALL the EXTRA LARGE ZIPLOC BAGS to store your towels, etc in, Do you have any extra??? Shoprite is sold out!!! Thanks a lot!