The Hindu : International : To rock house and cradle

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 22, 2005

International

International

To rock house and cradle

DALLAS, JAN. 21. They are housewives, workaholics, members of parent-teacher associations and... rock stars? Women, fighting to shatter the stay-at-home-mom stereotype and rediscover their youthful voice, are forming bands, such as Housewives on Prozac in suburban New York, Frump in Dallas and Placenta in Oakland, California.

These moms are rocking the house and the cradle, singing about breast-feeding, exhaustion and making kids do their chores. ``I feel like what we do is remind people about their passion and that sense of importance and that sense of vitality,'' said Joy Rose, a 47-year-old mother of four who founded Housewives on Prozac in 1997. ``Life is really short and it's important to live colourfully.''

Suzie Riddle, who has three children aged 19, 12 and 6, started Frump in 2001 as a gag for her 40th birthday party. A punk rocker in her youth, then a librarian, Ms. Riddle hounded other mothers at her church and her daughters' school until she found three women willing to play along.

Three years later, the band has grown to five, adding new members as others have moved away. Frump practises every Saturday night. — AP

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