Music Freedom Day in Canada!

Yesterday, my alarm clock woke me at 6:30 a.m. with the news that it was Music Freedom Day in Canada, or at least as celebrated by the CBC's Radio 2, my new favorite radio station (I'm on the Eastern channel for those who want to listen along).

This radio station is well worth a listen for those of you who like fun, interesting music.  Yesterday, I listened to music from the protests in Egypt, to a Michael Franti song (Hey Hey Hey)
 Hey hey hey, no matter how life is today 

There’s just one thing that I got to say

I won’t let another moment slip away
 
to a Guster (Do you love me?) song.  
 
I wanna wake you from your dreams.
I wanna know just who yer talkin' to when yer singin' in yer sleep.
I wanna find out what it means.
Do you love me?
 
According to my in-depth research on Wikipedia, the format changed over a few years ago from all

classical to more modern and eclectic music.  During the workday (9ish-3ish, as near as I can figure), it still plays classical music, which is great for putting the kids to sleep in the car.  In the morning and evenings, it plays different shows, and gives you some great history or background about the music. For example, I learned that the Red Hot Chili Peppers song, Under the Bridge, which has a gospel choir at the end, also has their moms in the choir.  This is a fact I would not have appreciated when it came out when I was in high school, as J so kindly pointed out, but it was interesting to learn about now that I am more mature and I am no longer in conflict with my mom all of the time.  J, I also learned David Gray has a new album out.  
 
Anyway, back to Music Freedom Day.  Canada recently banned airplay of Dire Straits "Money for Nothing" because of the use of a derogatory word in the lyrics, and it is important to note that the absolute free speech in America as guaranteed by the first amendment (see the Supreme Court case about protesting at funerals here) absolutely does not apply in Canada. Perhaps that has something to do with the civility I talked about in an earlier post? In any case, it is interesting that they decided to celebrate the freedom of spreading the appropriate message.  Yeah, musical freedom!

(J and I do really love CBC Radio 2, and they also have tiny, 10 minute snippets of excellent world news. J called it one round of WTOP and then some cool music. So it is worth a listen on your computer or while you cook dinner.)