parents in music

slackin@dabass · Post by **slackin@dabass** » Friday Oct 02, 2009

so i was sitting here wondering how many rockpager's families were into music. do your parents play instruments, which ones and how much did that influence what instruments you know how to play. and likewise with you and your children.

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Friday Oct 02, 2009

It's funny you mention this I've found that most like only what they were indoctrinated with in their early adulthood. This includes parents too.

Myself, I've transcended several paradigms (iow, I like and UNDERSTAND it ALL) with the exception of the current "pop". i just can't get into it. don't think there is anything to understand there

Redsfury · Post by **Redsfury** » Friday Oct 02, 2009

my mom played peter paul and mary to fall asleep to when i was little...still like em...dad hummed (poorly) to skynard on the radio.... my great grandfather played banjo and harmonica with fred waring.. and i can listen to that all day..... so yeah it has an influence. but none of them came right out and said "hey, you should be a musician"

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Friday Oct 02, 2009

i think we need a repository for great music. right now i'm watching/listening to the Hollies do "He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother". before that "the cure" fascination street. youtube is amazing, the landscape is changing. btw, how does youtube escape the wrath of poweres to be where napster did not?

slackin@dabass · Post by **slackin@dabass** » Saturday Oct 03, 2009

gosteelers wrote:i think we need a repository for great music. right now i'm watching/listening to the Hollies do "He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother". before that "the cure" fascination street. youtube is amazing, the landscape is changing. btw, how does youtube escape the wrath of poweres to be where napster did not?

oh, it hasn't. every now and then when i look a song up, it'll have a message under the video and say that due to copyrights, the audio has been deleted.

Hawk · Post by **Hawk** » Saturday Oct 03, 2009

My mother was a pianist and my dad was a drummer. I had no choice but to learn how to play an instrument, but I did get to choose what instrument I wanted to play.

On a side note. Many parents recognise all of the positives that come with a child learning to play music (or be involved in the arts in some way). I encounter many parents who get their children involved in music, even though they themselves have no musical background.

Tegamal · Post by **Tegamal** » Saturday Oct 03, 2009

I believe I'm the first musician in my family, but hopefully it's something I can interest my children in. My oldest son just started playing the Trombone.

cryssie · Post by **cryssie** » Saturday Oct 03, 2009

my parents were both in a christian band pretty much my entire life...both parents have amazing vocals, and dad plays guitar.

i lived and breathed music my entire life, not really by choice...which is probably why i rebelled against it as a teen and didn't pursue it again til much later.

Post by **Jim Price** » Saturday Oct 03, 2009

My father's side of the family was into music pretty heavily, and being Italian, accordion was an instrument they exposed me to a lot while I was growing up. (I also heard a lot of opera, but never quite got into that.) I took accordion lessons as a kid, as did my older brother (who still has one and picks it up and plays it now and then to this day).

My older brother introduced me to rock'n'roll in the early '70s, when he brought home albums by Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Emerson Lake & Palmer and more while he attended Penn State. That's what influenced me into listening to rock music on the radio, which started me on the path to what I do now.

moxham123 · Post by **moxham123** » Saturday Oct 03, 2009

Neither one of my parents nor any of my relatives played musical instruments. I was the first. However, music was always important in the house. We always had a record player and radio and my dad would buy records from the late 50s and early 60s that I listened to and eventually had my own records. We watched the variety shows like Ed Sullivan, Mitch Miller, Lawrence Welk, Shindig, Hullabaloo, American Bandstand, Where the Action Is, Happening '68, It's Happening, and the local shows as well as the radio was on frequently. It's amazing how so many different types of music can influence someone to pursue playing.

My mother took me to a Dick Clark Caravan of Stars concert in Johnstown in 1965 when I was 8 and the headliner was Herman's Hermits. I sneaked away to the front of the stage and decided at that moment that I had to be in a band. My mother bought me a $35 Audition guitar at Woolworth's for my 10th birthday and a drum pad and lesson book so I could take drum lessons at elementary school. Interestingly, I turned into a bass player.

Music has always been a huge part of my life and home life, including band practices sometimes. My son and stepson both play guitar as a direct influence of my playing and trying to inspire them to be musicians. I hope they continue to play and pass it along to their families in the future.

EyesOfAnguishbassist · Post by **EyesOfAnguishbassist** » Saturday Oct 03, 2009

I think my mom is one of the reasons I play music today. None of my parents play intruments or anything but when I was 4 before I was in school my mom used to put in Poison videos in the VCR and I would watch them for hours and pretend the broom was a guitar. Then growing up I never had enough motivation to learn or anyone to teach me until when I was about 16 or 17 my Aunt started dating "Evil" Eric Scott (of SOS) and he showed me the ropes and taught me alot of stuff. So I owe most of my thanks to my Uncle for teaching me (he has since married my Aunt and is the coolest uncle ever) haha.

Both of my parents have been supportive though, even when I told them I wanted to quit my job to try a little touring for STS to get to the next level. Of course my Dad didn't like the idea AT ALL but I have to give him props because he has been real cool about it, although he still drops hints of when I'm gonna get a "real" job haha, but hes my Dad I wouldn't expect him not to. Their both just glad I get to give a shot at what I've always wanted to do and get to travel and see things I probably wouldn't have if I would have kept my job and not toured.

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Sunday Oct 04, 2009

My dad played guitar in hillbilly bands along the Jersey shore in the 50's before I was born. He also played local barndances and one-offs with early country stars like Elton Britt and Vaughn Horton, but felt he had to give it all up when my mother became pregnant with me. My mom never played an instrument, but her love of music was always in evidence.
My dad gave me bluegrass, gospel and early country music, my mom gave me pop and later country, I inherited my young aunt's 60's rock and pop 45's, and my uncle, who lived with us for a few years, left me his extensive collection of honkytonk LP's, which were a treasure-trove.
I can't say my parents were particular supportive of me being a musician, but they didn't discourage it much either. At any rate, my buddy Mark was one of those kids who had all the latest rock records (which I listened to voraciously), and his life was saturated in music... I wanted that, too. He's as big an influence on me as anyone ever was.
I decided I was going to play music for an audience when I heard Kiss' "Hard Luck Woman" on the radio. They were a hard rock band, but that song was mellow and easygoing... I liked that one was free enough to be whatever, and I liked that absolutely anyone could "hit the bigtime" with luck and hard work. It only took another 8 years until I overcame my shyness and lack of confidence, another few years of slogging it out for empty seats, and I was a bonafide local rockstar!

As for influences, mine are basically effed-up. I'm influenced by Ted Nugent, but not as a guitarist, as a frontman. I'm influenced by SRV and Mato Nanji, but not as a guitarist, as a harmonica-player. My dobro playing is more informed by Derek Trucks and Sonny Boy Williamson than Jerry Douglas. George Jones is a big vocal influence, but so are Paul Rodgers and Rob Halford. It goes to show, you can't pick your influences, they pick you!
Good thread.--->JMS

FrigoRecording · Post by **FrigoRecording** » Monday Oct 05, 2009

I grew up listening to whatever my dad was listening to, which was Spencer Davis, Traffic, ELP, Chicago, Jethro Tull, Blood Sweat & Tears, etc, plus a lot of jazz. He could play piano by ear, but no one in my immediate family was really a musician. My dad's uncle Johnny (Johnny Frigo) was one of the top upright bass players in the Chicago area for session work, as well as live gigs, and he even wrote or co-wrote the theme songs for the Cubs and the Black Hawks. Late in life Johnny starting playing jazz violin. Johnny Frigo's son, Derek Frigo, was the guitarist for the 80's band Enuff Z'nuff that had a couple of hits. I don't really think Johnny or Derek had much influence in me getting into the music industry, though, since I didn't see them much at all. I can't even remember ever meeting Derek, but I think we met when I was quite young.

I'm sure my love for music came from my dad's influence, because there was often music playing in the house, and the radio was always on in the car. My love for music, combined with my love for gadgetry is what got me interested in recording and mixing. I tried to do something else for a living for awhile, but I realized I would always do best doing something I love.

Naga · Post by **Naga** » Monday Oct 05, 2009

Most of my major listening influences didn't come from my parents. My father listens to this day to a lot of The Eagles and Chicago, while my mother is very ecclectic with her tastes, ranging from country to rhythm & blues to classic rock and old country to some modern hits. Some of her favorites over the years include Michael Bolton, George Michael, and many many others. I really can't even begin to touch on everything that she enjoyed

The one thing she did though, was give me my second cassette... Alice Cooper's Trash album. I think my uncle Tommy gave me some of his old CDs (a few KISS ones, etc.)

Beyond that, I remember dabbling with a keyboard (which I still have), and discussing with my one brother and several of my friends at the time about starting a band some day. I don't know if any of them learned any other instruments. I haven't talked with most of my old friends in ages (as I'd moved away)

Beyond that, I remember looking through a neighbor's Musician's Friend catalog going towards my 17th birthday. I told my parents I wanted to persue playing guitar, and my brother also liked the idea. They figured to let us try it, so when my neighbor brought me the catalog, I looked into it. I don't remember why, but there was some kind of issue. So, they got my brother a small guitar setup from Ames for Christmas (he's more of a drummer these days, although he needs to get a new kit!), and would get me one soon. A few days later (the 29th), we went to a somewhat local music shop (Bill's Music Shop, in Catonsville) after we found that they had it

In the store, the clerk went to get a kit out for me. I originally wanted a white Squier guitar in the set. However, when the clerk pulled out the black, he's like "See? That's not a white set...", and put it away. I was like "That's ok, I want that one!" I still have my black Squier Strat, although it has several knicks and some damage here and there since, but I still have it! Ironically enough, none of it was caused by anything that you'd think!

DirtySanchez · Post by **DirtySanchez** » Monday Oct 05, 2009

"I'm looking for the kind of girl that reminds me of my mother
But it's hard to find a girl with a viper tattooed on her tushy
And how many girls do you know that can play the harmonica with their pussies?"- Jimmy Pop

dayzichick · Post by **dayzichick** » Monday Oct 05, 2009

I credit my mom's record collection (mostly The Beatles) and her singing along that got me started. She would always sing the harmony line and I think that's how I learned how to sing harmonies or to hear them at least. While most girls were playing with dolls or whatever, I always played "show" with my record player that you could hook a mic up to. I know I drove my parents nuts. I was also a huge Donna Summer fan back then and would sing with her songs a lot. We couldn't afford a piano and that's what I wanted to take lessons for. My mom got me guitar lessons and I boycotted them because I wanted to play piano, not guitar . . . .I was a dumb kid, LOL.

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Monday Oct 05, 2009

My parents are completely clueless. Completely incapable of moving on and appreciating something other than they experienced in their teenage years. I think it's a learning disability, I really do. A Learning disability. One that I have not acquired, thankfully.

I like it all. I understand it all, it all has meaning for me.

Except contemporary POP. I understand it, I know who they are appealing too (13 yr old girls) but I can not for the life of me get into it. POP has no SOUL. It's the one exception, I can't like it!