Turn off the music and talk to your kid? Sometimes it's better to just "Let It Be"

So, the other day I decided to take my teenage son, Mr. Smarty Pants, with me on a work assignment. During the 30 minute drive, I put my iPod on a 60s/70s music mix I'd created a long time ago.
Now, I realize this doesn't look good. A good father is a good communicator, after all. And with 30 uninterrupted minutes to spend together, I probably should have used the time to have a nice heart-to-heart chat with my boy.
In theory, that's what I should have done.
In practice, I think the music was every bit as rewarding.
See, young Mr. Smarty Pants is the youngest in our family and as such, he's been influenced from many different directions.


Obviously, my wife and I have had a critical influence on him. But so, too, have his older brothers and sister.
In everything from his clothing choices, to the food he likes, to his scholastic approach and to the music he listens to, the baby of our family has, in one way or another, been influenced by the rest of us.
So, while that 60s and 70s music was pumping through my car's speakers, I happened to glance over a couple of times, just to see how he was reacting. Remember, we're talking about a kid born in the late 1990s here, and he was being forced to listen to classic rock from almost 40 years ago.
I'm proud to say he liked what he was hearing.
At one point, a Beach Boys song came on and a smile crept across his face, so I asked, "Do you like these guys?"
"The Beach Boys?" he asked. "Yeah."
A few minutes later, The Beatles' "Let It Be" came on.
"You like The Beatles, too?" I asked.
"Yeah," he said.
Please don't misunderstand, I know this wasn't the first time Mr. Smarty Pants had been exposed to The Beatles and The Beach Boys. He's heard their music several times before. But I guess I'd just never really asked him if he liked it.
When he said he did, I was immensely proud. After all, as a parent all you really want if for your children to be healthy and happy, and to make good life decisions ... like listening to good music.
It's funny, I knew he was aware of The Beatles and The Beach Boys, but I wasn't too sure about some of the other bands we were hearing. But toward the end of our trip the song "Roundabout" by Yes came on.
I said to my son, "This is a band called 'Yes.' I know it's kind of a weird name, but they're really good."
Mr. Smarty Pants said, "'Roundabout,' right?
Stunned, I asked, "How do you know about 'Roundabout?'"
He responded with three little words: "School Of Rock."
Apparently the kid's got good taste in movies, too. I should have known.
Yes, I know we didn't have a heart-to-heart conversation that day. And yet I still came away believing young Mr. Smarty Pants is going to be just fine.