I think that Marguax had a great idea so I'll start this thread.
My parents (both in better places) loved music, neither could play but they were
one of the best dancers around town so I've been told by many.My mother took tap lessons as a little girl and was pretty lite on her feet.They loved Lawrence Welk and big band stuff, mom loved Kenney Rodgers.I never got to see them dance much because they would go out every Sat. nite to some of the local hot spots and I was home with babysitters.:
I had really OLD parents
ha just like mine have now
.I have one brother that loves playing guitar and is self taught and pretty good I must say,he has been my idol all my life he;s 10 years older and was so COOL the whole time I was growing up I wanted to be just like him.I have another brother not so cool and a sister who is neat and fun but nothing like that brother who taught me to love music like I do taday.
My mom is a classical music nut. She taught music, plays the
piano completely by ear, and it's her passion in life. My dad also
loved music, but more big bands,brass,that type of stuff. My brother has always been musical too-plays trumpet and guitar. My aunt was the rock 'n roller
I attempted piano numerous times, played
the flute for awhile and lost interest. I've always liked listening to music more than making it (probably because I inherited none of
the musical genes and can't sing either
) I was told I have
"perfect pitch" and don't even know what that means
If you have perfect pitch, you can sing anything right the first time. I could be singing flat in your ear (entirely likely) and you'd still be able to stay on pitch.
Let's see... my parents are tone-deaf. No, not really, not entirely. I have reasonably good pitch and used to play piano by ear, then they made me take lessons and I lost the ability. I'm hoping that by having avoided formal music for seven years, some of that savant-ness will come back, but no luck yet!
My Grandma L is entirely tone-deaf but loves singing anyway
and my Gram W used to play guitar by ear before she got married. Both love to dance. My grandfathers... I have no clue. My dad loves Taylor-type music (rock, blues, soul) and probably was my biggest influence. My mom likes disco and the Grateful Dead and random stuff. My sisters and I have both been in chorus most of our lives and love to sing, Kym played sax for many years but hated her band director in middle school and quit. Pretty much what happened with me and piano, I just couldn't stand the available instructors. And I was too lazy to practice.
The most interesting musician in my family was my cousin Christopher who took piano and accordian
when he was younger... but again, stopped playing well before he got to high school.
Now this is a very interesting topic. My maternal grandmother's 4 brothers were all musicians and played in various bands and orchestras in NYC in the 40's, 50's and 60's. The only one of the 4 girls to play an instrument was the youngest, my Aunt Louise. She played the banjo! She turned 90 in September and will still play if you ask. She married my Uncle Tom, who was also a musician (a drummer) and their 3 boys were musicians through college, 2 guitar players and a drummer. None of this talent trickled down to my mother and her two brothers. On my father's side there is no one remotely musical, though my eclectic musical tastes definitely came from my father.
As far as my abilities, well I have loved to sing since I could talk. When I was 9 I asked to learn to play an instrument. I said either the piano or guitar, preferring the guitar. What did I get - I got an organ. Yes, you read that right. I am pretty sure my mother saw this as an important skill to have since I was going to be a nun. (Okay, stop laughing!!!) I suffered organ lessons with foul-breathed Mr. Masters for three years. My weak math abilities are what saved me, having to get a math tutor in 8th grade, and having no time for my organ lessons. I sang in chorus in elementary and junior high school. When I got to high school I sang in chorus and folk group, and performed in a number of shows. I was Maria in an all-girl version of
The Sound of Music.
Hey, it was an all-girls Catholic school! At some point early in high school I asked for voice lessons. I still hear my mother laughing! I still love to sing, but the most likely place to hear me is in the shower, in the car, or at a Taylor show!
In addition to what Mari said, I think of perfect pitch as when someone says "Sing the Star Spangled Banner in the key of G" and you can. I have pretty good relative pitch, when I sing the SSB it stays in the same key (except for the high notes), but I couldn't tell you which one it was.
I took piano starting at an early age, was in choirs all the way through school, played clarinet in high school band, where I enjoyed the band but hated the clarinet. It's hard to get a clarinet to sound good (and it's debatable if it's even possible!). At one point I played saxophone in the basketball pep band, but I hated the dweeb boy I had to sit next to, and unfortunately did not realize how cool saxophone was..
I got a guitar in junior high, and could play basic chords and folk-rock songs, but my fingers just aren't big enough to do the fancy stuff. When I went to college, a professor said his kid wanted to learn guitar, and it was clear his kid was meant to own my guitar..
I am jealous of anyone who had cool older siblings. There are definite drawbacks to being the oldest. I envied my friends who did, since their brothers and sisters had cool records.. and even more I envied older brothers with cute friends.
The only musical person that I know of in my family was my grandfather (Mom's dad). He played the harmonica.
Maybe I always had a deep seeded love for the sound long before I completely understood.
My grandmother loved music and always had a radio on and would sing and dance with us as youngsters. My other grandparents - I don't recall any music in my memories with them. They always had horses so that's where the majority of my memories lie. Grampie and his horse & buggy and riding up and down the road where they lived.
My parents always had a pretty good album collection but it consisted mostly of old country western, big band and Old Blue Eyes. I've loved music, like SegerHicks, as far back as I can remember. My first cassettes were Billy Joel's Glass Houses and a Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits compilation. I took flute lessons for a little over a year but I didn't like it. I always wanted to play the drums but no one really took me seriously. We always had a piano in the house growing up but it was out of tune and no one offered to give my sister or I lessons. Speaking of my sister, she took clarinet lessons through her freshman year of high school and then gave that up. She and I have the same love of music and I made her a Taylor fan.
Now, we're building Emma's musical background.
Tricia, Too bad you had to endure years of Mr. Masters' foul smelling "organ"...
ummm...that came out wrong.
I was born to a father who was VERY poor growing up and had no exposure to the arts. All I know is that he liked to sing and often sang along to the radio in the car and at parties after he had a few drinks. He wasn't half bad but at times thought he was the next Pavarotti and it always embarrassed me.
My mother can't sing and played no instruments except piano as a child. She had a big crush on Burt Bacharach and played his music (recorded by Dionne Warwick and the Carpenters) a lot! I know all the words to this day.
My brother and sister were teenagers when I was born. My brother played drums casually and got me interested in music early. I played his Beatles records along with my kiddie records at age 5.
In junior high and high school I would go into the den every night after dinner, close the door, put on my music and dance like crazy by myself. I didn't want anyone to see me and I made up routines and danced my ass off with a little gymnastics thrown in....it was good exercise! I love to sing but kind of suck at it.
I would stand in front of the bathroom mirror singing for hours too...we had an intercom system so the music was piped into each room from the kitchen. I never had a desire to play an instrument and lessons were never offered to me. My parents split up when I was 12 and money was tight. I would get lost in the songs when I felt sad.
I have 2 nephews who play guitar and several cousins who play guitar but none can sing as far as I know.