What is your first memory of music that made a lasting impression? What musical memories do you closely associate with certain family members? What place did music have in your home or neighborhood? Much of the research I've been exposed to says lasting musical memories begin building when we're between 12-15 years old. Based on my own life, this rings true. How about for you?
I was fortunate to have two parents who enjoyed music. My father played the ukulele and my mother had a nice singing voice and good ear for harmony. When Dad would play a popular song from the 1930's - the years he and Mom were in that 12–15-year-old range - and my Mother would sing, the songs were unfamiliar to me. But songs like "Embraceable You" or "I Get a Kick Out of You" - and others written years before I was born - occupied a space in my early musical landscape even if they didn't take up as much space as "Where Did Our Love Go", "Surfin USA", or other songs popular when I was an adolescent.And now? A substantial portion of my 2026 guitar repertoire includes songs Dad played on the uke while Mom sang all those years ago. When Mom died in 1977, I was still singing rock n' roll in the bars. Dad lived almost another 20 years and by then I had switched to playing some of those early standards in a jazz style, so he got to appreciate this turn in my music. And though both of them always loved and supported my rock n' roll ambitions, there's something comforting about my current musical life taking me back to songs from my parents' impressionable years. To those of you who still have your parents: Why not ask them to share with you the music that made an early impression on them? Then go on your favorite streaming service and make a playlist for them. What a gift that will be.
Very nice memories
ReplyDeleteThanks Bob.
DeleteMuch like you, my earliest music memories are of the music my Mom and Dad played. Popular artists and songs like Frank Sinatra (""Come Fly With Me"", ""I've Got You Under My Skin"", ""I Get a Kick Out of You"", ""Our Love is Here to Stay"", ""You Make Me Feel So Young""), Dean Martin (""That's Amore"", ""Memories Are Made of This""), Sammy Davis Jr. (""That Old Black Magic"", ""The Candy Man""), Johnny Mathis (""Chances Are""), Tony Bennett (""Because of You""), Nat King Cole (""Mona Lisa""). Many of these songs, when I hear them today, I remember the words and can sing along.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad was also a big fan of the singing cowboy, Gene Autry and would sing and play a lot of his music. They also liked Henry Mancini, Bert Kaempfert, Jackie Gleason, Nelson Riddle and Percy Faith. I have memories of these albums playing on the big stereo console in the living room
They were not big fans of that ""Rock and Roll"" music that started in the late 50s and into the 60s and 70s. But over time they came to enjoy some of it, mostly ballads and slower songs from the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, and Joni Mitchell to name a few.
All of this fostered my interest in music which continues to this day.
Chris; Thanks for the comprehensive comment. My Dad also enjoyed a "cowboy", a fine guitar player names Al Caolia (sp.) And they too - like your parents - were later more partial to ballads from the Rock N' Roll era, although my Mom loved "Honey Don't" from Beatles '65 and would often ask me to sing it for her when I played guitar. Great memories; thanks for helping to trigger them.
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