Driving With My Daughter, One Song at a Time

What my nonverbal daughter has taught me about country music in California. Palm Trees silhouetted at sunset along Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, California.(Photo by Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images) Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. Sometimes when I’m driving, and Morgan Wallen is turned up loud and most likely singing about whiskey, it’s not clear to me whether I’m truly hearing another voice. That second voice is actually a recording of my wife Tina saying the phrase “different music,” sounding slightly mechanical coming from the big red button that hangs behind the front passenger seat. Want to see more of The Dispatch in Google search? Add Us as a Preferred Source Mark Kendall’s writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, the San Francisco Chronicle, and other publications. A lifelong Californian, save for one year in his teens, he has road-tripped Route 66 from Chicago to San Bernardino. He spent more than two decades in higher education communications at Pomona College, including a stint as managing editor of Pomona College Magazine. More We Think You’d Like