KELLY BROWN: What we listen to and watch as children stays with as adults

But of course so many people were reminded of this fact earlier this week when the news came of the sad passing of David Bowie - followed by this afternoon’s sad news at the loss of Alan Rickman.

After six dacades of music Bowie was firmly part of the furniture of music history – known and loved by more than one generation.

And so it was with shock and sadness that conversation about Bowie dominated at work this week, as I’m sure it did up and down the country.

Of course I watched the film Labyrinth repeatedly as a child, and for me, and many people in their thirties, Bowie forms part of that collection of people who were the soundtrack to an early childhood because whatever music my parents were listening on vinyl (remember that?!) or on the radio to is what I heard as well.

So just like Queen, Genisis, Madonna, Abba and Pink Floyd – who I heard repeatedly – Bowie’s music is another I was firmly exposed to, even though so much of it came out before I was born.

These childhood exposures most definitley influenced the music I like as an adult and that fact has really got me thinking about what music, film and television programmes by own children are being exposed to.

For instance when we were children my brother and I repeatedly watched Star Wars, even if it was recorded from the television and we had to fast forward through the adverts.

As direct result from this we have both grown up loving Star Wars. It was only into adulthood that we realised not everyone else had the same experiences and, therefore, the same affection for it.

And so it has got me carefully considering how my choices might engineer in some way or other the future films or music my own children might love into adulthood.

But of course when my son asked at the weekend if he could watch Star Wars the answer to that was an obvious yes – well it is great to have things we both like. He watched all three original films in two days and loves it.

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