Did your parents shape your musical taste?
September 12, 2008
Back in the day, I used to cruise in my mom’s station wagon…a big old maroon Chevy Impala, vinyl seats. I could ride in a maroon car, but never red, since an unfortunate carsickness incident in a realtor’s car at the age of three. Probably more unfortunate for the realtor…that smell lingers.
Back then, a six year old could ride in the front seat, and attempt to take command of the radio’s buttons by guerrilla methods. I’d wait until my mom was distracted by some driving thing, and would lean left oh-so casually and press in the button to the far right, denoting Q-107, the rock and roll station! They would play Bruce Springsteen and Juice Newton. At that age, “Everybody’s Got a Hungry Heart” was my absolute favorite song.
I’ve always been a sing-alonger, so I would belt it out, to my mom’s great amusement. Both of my folks were in the church choir, and often broke into song for no apparent reason. I thought it was really normal for people to start singing show tunes and dancing around the kitchen. “Shall we dance, bum bum bum…” my mom sang, as my dad whirled her around.
I think my parents helped shape my musical tastes by the sheer eclectic-ess of their own, and by the fact that their was always music in our house. There was a piano, and my parents went to choir practice every Wednesday night and sang every Sunday. If they couldn’t get a babysitter for Wednesday nights, my brother and I would go with blankets and pillows and lie in the pews, listening to the music swelling over our heads. It sounded so different without the washed and powdered bodies of the Sunday faithful to catch to sound as it rained down. It sounded filtered, pure, just for us. Until the temperamental choir director would shout, “NO, no, no! Start over, and try to stay together!” and we’d giggle at this group of grownups being chided like naughty children.
But because we saw them make music such a high priority in their life, and how much of their social circle was shaped by music, I guess it was inevitable that it would become important to both of us as well. Although in different ways. I have a longstanding love of choral music, but tend to stay out of churches these days. But I’ve always thought of music as the most distilled version of religion, the true essence of singing god’s praises.
There are religious songs that, to this day, when I hear them, just make me cry. “On Eagle’s Wings,” “Amazing Grace”, and “The Irish Blessing” are the top three. The Irish Blessing in particular…my mom was in charge of music at my wedding, and I made her promise not to put that until the very end, so I could get back up the aisle and then cry. So what does she do? Drops it square in the middle, so I’m a puddle of tears up on the altar. HELL-O. Waterproof mascara is not THAT waterproof.
In our house, E tends to pick up on the pop side of things, and J is much more moody and emo. He loves Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, and The Flaming Lips. She loves The Fray and Sara Bareilles. And Baby W seems to be a big Public Enemy fan. I caught him bobbing his head in the rearview mirror the other day to “Don’t believe the hype”, with his best Chuck D sneer. I was proud.
So how about you? Was music a part of your life when you were growing up? How do you think your music shapes your kids?
Posted in Miscellaneous, Old School, Rock and Roll Mama
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September 12th, 2008 at 11:51 am
wow – I tried to answer and it got WAY too long, so I guess it’s a blog post for me. LOL
September 12th, 2008 at 11:55 am
You know talking about picking up eclectic music tastes…. I was raised by my old school grandparents, so I actually liked classical growing up. Except, as I got older, it turned into classical techno and ambient.
I love all kinds of music!
But the singing along brings up a memory of a story from when I was about 5 or 6:
I was with my other grandparents on vacation, and Madonna’s Papa Don’t Preach came on.
I started singing, to which they about died! Until they heard MY lyrics:
Coppertone Beach…. lalalalala
Coppertone Beach… lalalalala
Apparently I thought they were talking about the cute little girl on the Coppertone bottles with the dog grabbing her swim bottoms. Oh to be 6 again!
September 12th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I don’t know if – or rather how much – my parents influenced my musical tastes considering they were sorta funny about it as I recall… In junior high & high school, I was addicted to alternative rock – R.E.M., The Sundays, Depeche Mode, and Yaz were some of my faves. My dad was the only one who would allow me to listen to rock music in the car (my mom always said it “gave her a headache”) but if left to his own devices, my dad would only ever have the classical music station playing. The only music I remember my mom ever listening to when I was little was BJ Thomas and Johnny Cash (“Ring of Fire” was my favorite song when I was 3 – I used to refer to it as “the down down down song”) but music was definitely not a big part of her life – odd, considering she plays the piano.
For years growing-up, I thought that grown-ups didn’t listen to rock music because I knew my parents didn’t. What a relief to see all of my mom-friends still rockin’ out in their mid-30’s, toddlers in tow!
September 12th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
In some ways they did, in others not. My dad didn’t listen to much music. He did like the Beatles (as do I) and I only remember another record of his but I remember it vividly. Mason Williams. Probably best known for Classical Gas, but the song that I remember is “The Prince’s Panties” I can still quote it. And maybe it influenced my taste for songs with silly lyrics. Other than that, my dad’s tastes have tended toward classical guitar, and piano music. I can listen to those, but they don’t take up space in my music collection
My mom has never bought much music, but when we were young we listened to the radio in the car all of the time. As a child we would ride around singing along to Gloria Gayner, Juice Newton and Air Supply. I only remember one record of my mom’s. Linda Rhonstat and the Stone Pony. I must have heard “Different Drummer” a thousand times as a kid.
While my mom never bought much music for herself, she let my sister and I indulge. We had tons of records we started with ABBA and Shawn Cassidy and moved on from there.
As teens, she never liked my choices much. While I was listening to the Clash and the Ramones, English Beat and the Specials, she would turn up the volume whenever The Scorpions or ACDC came on MTV.
Not really sure what she’s listening to now, but in her own way she helped me develop my own taste in music, but mostly by not limiting me.
As far as my own kids. They like what I like for now, and my older one in particular likes to “rock out”. He also asked the nanny to keep the radio playing when a Hanson song was on. Sweet Jesus, that made me question his sanity, but hell, he’s 4.
September 12th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I’m sitting here listening to Nat King Cole, Sinatra, and Dean Martin. My Nana used to always listen to Big Band, so when the Stray Cats made it cool to punk out to swing, I was all over that. And still. My Nana didn’t like the new twist on her old favorites.
My Mom used to love The Beatles, of course. Then John Lennon was shot when I was ten. All of a sudden, we were listening to The Beatles all. the. time. LOVED IT! Eventually, I began listening to the Plimsoles, The Ramones, The Cult… just in time for her to hate my music and for me to hate being anywhere near her. I bet it was nice while it lasted…
Eventually, we all find our own sound. But yeah, you still find your way back to the familiar. Sinatra is singing on the internet right now. And I’m feeling just a little wistful… wishing for one more day with my Nana.
September 12th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
That’s so funny, just this past weekend, my husband put in a tool CD while we were driving to visit my parents and my little G-man started head bobbing along like I’ve not seen him do to any other song.
I remember listening to the local honkey-tonk radio station growing up, and while I’m not a country fan per se, I do love me some old Hank Williams Jr or Dolly Parton with the real country twang…Tear in my Beer sort of country, thanks to that radio station growing up.
September 12th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
No.
September 12th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
My first thought was “heavens, no!” But then I realized the complexity of their influence and now, like Jesica, I’ll have to write my own blog post about it.
Meanwhile, we’ve been moving and I’ve been playing my favorite ipod playlists to keep myself going. I was downstairs when suddenly the stereo upstairs cranked the Beastie Boys. Apparently Lucy likes the Beastie Boys. Loud. So her answer would be yes.
September 12th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Jesica- I read it, it’s awesome!
Erica- I love that story. Too funny.
Deb- you’ve inspired me to write about the time my mom ganked ALL my music.
Follow- My kids sometimes lean towards poppy too, and it cracks me up. E wants to liek the Jonas bros so bad, but I has my limits.
Sugar- That’s so sweet. You made me miss my Nana too.
Lesha- Awesome! I heard Sober today and was rocking out. That’s so fun to see your lil ones appreciating the rawk. I heard a Tool Lullaby cd at Rockabye Music.
WP- LOL. There’s a blog post in there for you too, bra.
Susan- I appreciate La Lucy even more now. Any beastie girl is a friend o mine.
Off to take the kids to the hotel pool- we came to see Daddy play tonight, but they don’t go on till 11, so we opted for running around the dressing room like crazy people and then going swimming. 4 hours in the car, these kids are ready for action!
September 15th, 2008 at 10:12 am
I was just listening to the Righteous Brother’s “Rock and Roll Heaven” and I thought of you. Who would be in your Rock and Roll Heaven ‘hell of a’ Band?
This actually leads into my musical tastes. My parents listened to the oldies station. Although, it might not have been an oldies station when they started…
Beatles, Elvis, Stones and other groups from the 50s and 60s were part of forming my musical tastes. I love the harmony from the 50s doo-wop music and the more psychedelic sounds of Sgt. Pepper.
My uncle introduced me to Pink Floyd and Police during the late 80s. My grandfather played big band and crooners for me. Friends introduced me to the then current 80s bands.
In short, my musical tastes are eclectic. Yes, they tend to lean but, there doesn’t seem to be any one style.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:44 am
i love wpofd’s response, short and sweet
my mom was into rock and roll, my dad was country. he actually was a songwriter, and i remember jam sessions they would have at our house when i was just a wee tot. they used those old, big tape machines to record.
he actually made it to the studio once and made a record (he didn’t sing, he met a singer), then he and my mom went to nashville to “pound the pavement” as they say.
my tastes are all over the board musically, i love music in just about every form of it there is.
September 16th, 2008 at 9:55 am
My parents were always playing Bruce, too. My dad’s favorite was “Thunder Road,” and he loved it so much that they made a mix tape that just played Thunder Road over and over and over again so he wouldn’t have to keep rewinding the cassette. To this day, I love Bruce more than any other musician.
September 16th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
When I was very small, I was in love with my parents’ Ronnie Milsap (his real name!) album. “What a difference you made in my life” still makes me tear up to this day. My brother and I loved every song they put on until we were old enough to know better. Peter, Paul, and Mary have a very, very small soft spot in my heart but even I know that it is just too white.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcMfjD5I8aQ
September 16th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
This was the other song from my childhood that made a permanent dent. My brother and I actually made a pilgrimage to Luckenbach, along with our respective spouses. It’s really just a field that they made into a bar. Pretty fabulous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmY8M4cDdjg