Trans-Siberian Twin Adventure

Tonight I introduced the twins to live Trans-Siberian Orchestra music, sort of. Well, it was live, and captured on video and uploaded to YouTube. So, on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 the twins and I decided to use screen mirroring, or whatever it’s called, to watch some Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The twins, Theodore and Jacqueline, are six and a half years old, and they have not seen TSO live, as of yet. Anyways, I pulled up Brad Parmerter’s full show video from Newark, NJ on December 12th, 2015. We turned it way up, and let it fly.

After the kids stopped fooling around long enough to actually watch what was playing, it got real interesting.

During, “Oh Come All Ye Faithful/Oh Holy Night” and leading into “Good King Joy”,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXsFuThQDr4

Theodore said to me, “Oh Dad, I want to be just like Chris Caffery. He’s the best guitar player in the whole wide world!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a5v4ylvBrI

Then after being totally mesmerized by the show, he yelled out, “IT’S SNOWING AT TSO, UNBELIEVABLE!!!!” at the beginning of “Christmas Dreams”, just from looking at the lights and screens onstage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W08gZGF0oOI

Both kids were blown away when they saw Chris Caffery leave the stage and interact with the crowd. Theodore told his sister, “I definitely want to high-five Chris Caffery! Chris Caffery is my favorite guitar player!” He added that, “Dad got to high-five Chris Caffery this year! And last year too!” True story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h69UcGiogU

As the evening wore on, and we decorated our Christmas Tree, we came back to the music. My playlist played quietly (not too quiet) in the background.

Then Jacqueline said she wanted “to be like one of the girl TSO singers”. We played a few videos, and she really liked Georgia Napolitano, but ended up going with Lisa Lavie, due only to pronunciation. Even though she loves Christmas Canon Rock.

We came to one of my favorite TSO songs of all time, “Music Box Blues”. Jacqueline was a foot from the screen, checking out everything that Lisa Lavie was wearing, her movements, use of the microphone, and trying to see how many rings she was wearing. Then she proclaimed, “Lisa Lavie’s voice is so powerful!!!” Agreed, Jackie, agreed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMvlYnp5O50

Jacqueline said, “Dad I want to sing like Lisa Lavie when I grow up; and Georgia too.” I think that would be fantastic!

Then we looked at a video of Lisa Lavie singing, “For The Sake Of Our Brother”. And Jacqueline didn’t know quite what to think. She just watched in silence, copying every single move. She noticed tears in my eyes when the song was done. (I still can’t get through that song without tearing up, or as I call it, crying.) Jacqueline came over and hugged me while wiping my tears, and said, “Dad, I don’t want to see you sad.” I thanked her and told her that I wasn’t sad, but that the song was powerful in its presentation and meaning. I have been moved by that song for the last 17 years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCTP6HY7PKM

So, the tree is decorated, and the kids are wiped out. But they both want to be in Trans-Siberian Orchestra when they grow up. Theodore played an old wooden hockey stick shaft as a guitar all evening, and he announced over and over, that he was Chris Caffery. Jacqueline slowly brought her arms out to the side, a wooden dowel standing in front of her as her microphone, and said, “See, I am singing like Lisa Lavie!” She asked me, “Dad, how did you get so close for this video?” I explained that it wasn’t my video, it was done by my friend Brad. She said, “I want to meet your friend Brad too.” It was a great night. Merry Christmas!