Are/were your parents musicians

[mississippi]

I wish my parents had a musical background. My mother listened to guitar music while she was pregnant and I think it got into my head at that stage. My daughter plays the piano and has an ephiphone les paul junior, but I'm not able to see or hear her play ocean separates us

[Stackabones]

Mother played trumpet. Father still plays guitar.

[mississippi]

Originally Posted by Stackabones

Mother played trumpet. Father still plays guitar.

Do you guys play music together these days

[Banksia]

Father was a self-taught pianist who could hack out a few tunes. His mother and 3 or 4 of his sisters all had formal lessons. My mother did about 3 years formal piano lessons. Her father played violin - Irish fiddle, to be more precise. My three sisters all learnt to play guitar but none persisted.

I grew up in a small town before TV arrived so music was always there. I think it does help, although I certainly don't play any of the stuff I heard growing up, except some of the show tunes.

[Tom Karol]

Musicality skipped generations in my family for the most part. My parents and siblings were not at all musical, but my paternal grandfather was a fine classical violinist who also played tenor banjo in a Dixieland band in his youth. And I had an uncle who played trombone in big bands when they came to town. My son, 23, is very musical - we've even performed together - but his cousins are not. Interesting!

[patskywriter]

music was an important part of my life growing up—my dad was a huge jazz fan and we kids just naturally took to it. my dad played sax and clarinet as a youngster and also played while in the US army. in fact, the night before he was to leave for his assignment as a gunner he saw a poster recruiting soldiers who could read music for the black army band. pop signed up immediately, and that saved his life. (during world war II, the gunners were the guys who popped up on top of the tanks and 'cleared the way' for their fellow soldiers. typically, they only lasted 24 seconds because they were out in the open while performing their duty.)

mom was a music teacher at morgan park high school (in chicago). she played piano on the side, accompanying spiritual and classical singers. her brother was a fulltime jazz musician (piano), her mom sang in church and in NC mutual's glee club (in durham, NC), and her dad was a music professor at a few black universities/colleges throughout his career. in his early life he accompanied spiritual and classical singers, including roland hayes (the first black singer to gain fame in europe); and in his later life he became a bon vivant solo pianist who played ragtime the way it's supposed to be played (not like marvin hamlisch!)

my sister is an actor and she also sings in the john work chorale (in chicago). her husband is a theater director and former choreographer. their young daughter is in the beginning stages of starting an acting and singing career.

my cat also enjoys music, and has been known to tap her front paws to the beat.

[mr. beaumont]

My mom, no. My dad played a little guitar and a little more piano--and has actually really gone after learning more about the piano in the last 5 years or so.

We jam about every other week, standards and stuff. He has no confidence in his ability, but I'm trying to help him with that, because I think he's quite good!

[fep]

@ patskywriter

When I saw you had posted on this thread I was really interested in reading what you had to say. I was guessing you came from a very musical household, I thought that because of your perfect pitch.

I had read that there is a developmental stage that the brain goes thru at a young age and that is when one has the chance to develop perfect pitch.

[ksjazzguitar]

Neither of my parents played music. I showed an aptitude in a school test (perfect scores) but they didn't want me to play - it's not what "serious" people did. I didn't play guitar until I was 16 and an uncle (somewhat musical) left an old guitar at our house. I didn't have my first lesson until I was 25.

Peace,
Kevin

[Stackabones]

Originally Posted by mississippi

Do you guys play music together these days

My mom doesn't play anymore, so we've never played together. I've had my father out to rock gigs and he's sat in, and we've jammed around his house. He regularly gigged when he was in college, but stopped gigging when I was around six or seven.

[M-ster]

My parents are both artists, although my Dad took violin lessons when he was young. My brother is both an artist and musician. I just got the musical aptitude ...

Saw a very good jazz group in Chicago, once. Dad was on upright, and his son was on drums. Very competent players. You could tell that they had a great affinity for the music and for each other, and you could just sense Dad's pride in his son. It was very cool. It must be very special to share the music across generations like that.

[patskywriter]

Originally Posted by fep

@ patskywriter

When I saw you had posted on this thread I was really interested in reading what you had to say. I was guessing you came from a very musical household, I thought that because of your perfect pitch.

I had read that there is a developmental stage that the brain goes thru at a young age and that is when one has the chance to develop perfect pitch.

i'm thinking that, too. playing music comes naturally, although becoming really good takes a lot of work. i'm pretty good at what i do (strictly rhythm guitar), but i realize that if i had the time and patience for serious study, i'd be much better. to me, musical enjoyment is a lifestyle, not just something to do in my spare time. i don't feel right if i don't play my 'git-fiddle' at least a little bit every day.

[markerhodes]

Mom plays piano by ear. Played at a lot of school / church functions as a kid but doesn't play much anymore. She's 81 and her hands aren't what they were. When I was a kid, she made me take my guitar outside because I sang in one key while playing in another. Drove her nuts. (I understand.) We don't play together and rarely discuss music. Both of my brothers talk about music all the time but can't play a note. Life is like that.

[wizard3739]

My Dad was a whistler and had a great memory for the old standards. My Mom (self-taught) played piano by ear. My oldest sister was a professional vocalist (first Champaine Lady for Lawrence Welk (before TV) and had her own combo (Shari Long & the Limelighters)for several years. Two of my older brothers played guitar and one also played trumpet.

wiz

[PaulD]

My Dad played clarinet and was a huge Benny Goodman fan. Knew all of Benny's solos note for note. I grew up listening to big bands. I used to try to accompany him on the guitar when I was a kid, but it wasn't really the music I was interested in at the time so I didn't really try too hard. Of course now I wish I had paid more attention .

Paul