Forward

By Cathy Finck

I am an ordinary mother of two extraordinary adult children; Robin Finck, former guitar player for Nine Inch Nails, currently with Guns N Roses, and Jamie Finck, Southwest Airlines flight attendant and DJ. I say with candor and complete conviction that had Turn Up the Music been available while my husband and I were parenting our growing children, my progress as a successful Mom would have been faster.

I believe if parents and families will utilize the ideas and techniques offered in this book, the heartfelt experiences of other people and the author’s insight, they will find practical ways to grow healthy children and healthy families.  What’s the big deal about music, media and children? I found my answer to that question through my own reaction to the music and media my children were exposed to, and from sharing in my son’s experience as a rock musician and my daughter’s experience as a DJ. I learned that no two people see or hear a piece of music or media the same way. I learned that talking about my values was more important than I realized and necessary to counteract the embedded values and points of view that existed in the music and media my children were consuming.  I almost missed a great opportunity in my life as a Mom – to learn about my children’s developing values and points of view and how I could compete with music and media to influence them.  I am still amazed to this day at how apparent it is to me now (but was not then), the role music and media played in their decision making as adolescents and in shaping their values, and mine. That’s precisely why I believe this book is so important for parents, children and families!

I know you can help influence your child’s values and prevent your child from buying into some of the dangerous messages in today’s music and media culture. I also know you cannot prevent what you do not acknowledge and understand. Believe me, you will be enlightened and informed when you listen to your kids’ music – you may also be dismayed, alarmed and frightened. But take heart and keep watching and listening, courageous parenting is not for the faint of heart yet it is the single greatest gift we can give our children and ourselves.  To be courageous you need only to give more energy to loving and parenting your children than you give to what you fear for your children.

In Turn Up The Music, author Jeff Dess simply and brilliantly provides useful prevention strategies to help parents help their kids through the Rap, Rock, Pop and Metal (and media saturated) years of their children’s adolescence. I sincerely hope you will take this encouragement and implement some of the strategies offered in this book. If you do, you will be afforded the opportunity to share your values and perspective with your kids (not criticize theirs). This will help them interpret the music and media they are overexposed to and can help them dodge the dangers that lurk around every corner of their adolescent passage. 

Here’s to a safe journey through adolescence, for all courageous parents, educators and children alike. Read on, and please parents - Turn Up The Music!