Do you come from a musical family?

[itchyfingers]

Went to a funeral in Hollywood on Monday. Not a direct relative of mine, I was just there to support my family and friends. It was my cousin's grandma; she was 94 and had dementia for many years, so it was more of a celebration of her life than a sad gathering. I can remember being at this nice old lady's house so many times growing up, and there was always someone on the piano or guitar and everyone breaking into song. They sang in their church choir, and performed at bars and clubs around LA.

After the service and the reception, my mom and I were invited back to my cousin's aunt's house. We had been hanging out a couple hours and out of nowhere, my aunt walks up to me and my cousin with two acoustic guitars and says "get to it, you know what to do". We started playing all the 60s tunes we could think of considering the majority of our "audience". Thank god for the Tabs app and google lyrics. My cousin's uncle (a total badass musician) joined us with a third guitar and we jammed a ton of Stones, Beatles, and Beach Boys tunes. Holy crap there are a lot of chord changes in BB tunes... People sang along and threw out requests. We played for a couple hours. It was seriously one of the most fun jams I've had in awhile, but for them, I feel like it was just a day in the life!

My pops played the trumpet, and my mom played guitar and piano. Other than my mom giving piano lessons to us, and playing Fur Elise on the piano occasionally, they never played much. It was like something they knew how to do, but had given it up long ago - probably to raise my sister and I. I didn't really pick up guitar until after I'd moved away to college, but now it's a part of my daily life. I try to get my nieces and nephews into the music room to make some noise whenever they visit. The trumpet and the theremin seem to get the most love! I hope when they're older, they look back on visits to Uncle Itchy's as a musical house. Maybe they'll even get the bug themselves and want to learn an instrument. I can't take all this gear with me when I go...

How about you GABbros? Did your parents play? Did your family break into song when you were growing up? Are you passing the musical gene on to your kids?

[Marc G]

not really.... my Mom's side had lots of music lovers but no musicians.... My Mom has told me about my Grandfather's "music time" where he'd put on his classical music on the old gramophone they had and everyone in the house knew to stay quiet of face his wrath lol.... My Dad played whats called a "Cuatro" which is basically a slightly larger Ukulele that I believe was invented in Venezuela... 4 strings, all nylon, that are arranged kinda odd, the strings 3 from top get progressively thinner, like a guitar, but then the 4th string is the thickest... anyhow he played that casually since it's used in local Calypso songs and in Venezuelan style of music called Parang that's popular at Christmas time... so if you had a Cuatro you had a party basically...

So I see where I get my love of music but instruments were not always floating around my house...

[JiveTurkey]

Not at all. My grandma played piano in the church and that's it. I am sure it had an influence but not sure how it lead to my love of Megadeth

[Ostinato Rubato]

There's a classical guitar in most of my family's houses in Mexico. Not everyone plays but it's there for whoever wants to. My dad grew up in the age of having to work pretty hard to score tail, which meant that the young bucks who could throw a duo or trio together and go stand outside of las señoritas' windows and serenade them had competitive advantages in the mating game. My dad decided he would be one of those bad hombres and could play a lot of romantic Spanish songs and romantic pop songs by bands like The Beetles and sing decently. By the time he was my dad he had been domesticated and didn't play with the same enthusiasm as when he was younger but I did grow up with him breaking it out from time to time and playing. I have two other musical cousins, one who's particularly musical and can do a lot including record... but as you all would correctly assume I am El Primo Maestro Musico de la familia Rubato. The white side of my family isn't musical but it's where I get my addictive-recreational substance abuse tendencies from... which happen to blend really fucking well with being a musician.. so thanks Mom for closing the loop on a good creative recipe.

My kids (including my step sons) all seem to have some varying levels of ability and interest in playing music and are all growing up getting familiar with an instrument or two. My wife's a dancer and loves performing arts in general so we're all about spontaneous song and dance, making beats, spittin' rhymes, having family jams and such... as much as we can make happen without pushing them.

The second oldest started his first year of middle school. His elective is violin and he tells me he's getting pretty good. He's gonna bring his violin home next weekend and we're gonna jam.

[ajaxlepinski]

My mom played flute throughout her life... first in Middle School then, High School and later on, with community bands.
Her community band leader was also a music professor at one of the local colleges.
Because, the college orchestra only had five or six students, my Mom and some of her community band mates would fill out the orchestra for shows at the school.
I saw her perform with the college orchestra and the community band a few times.

She insisted that my two older brothers and I learn instruments in school.
My brothers learned trumpet and percussion and I played trumpet but, in the fifth grade, the music teacher forced me to switch to the baritone horn.
While not a tuba, baritone horns (with a case) are a bitch for a fifth grader to lug around so, I gave it up.

[BroSlinger]

My Mom could play piano.
My Dad doesn't play anything.

Both parents had/have good pitch. Both can/could carry a tune.

My Dad's eclectic music tastes influenced me. He never listened to traditional "rock". There was never any Beatles being played. He listens to:
Sade
Whitney Houston
Janet Jackson
Genesis
Dire Straits
Bob Marley
Enya
War
Enigma

My Mom liked Jim Morrison, Gipsy Kings, Wesley Willis, and Donny Osmond.

It all makes sense now.

[clipless bumper]

Not at all. My grandma played piano in the church and that's it......

this exactly for me too - I still have her piano at my mom's house back in Wisconsin.
It's an old tall upright - and in the basement - I have no idea how they got it down there.
I remember it being in my grandparent's house - so I must have been around when they did it - but no recollection.

[Ostinato Rubato]

My Mom could play piano.
My Dad doesn't play anything.

Both parents had/have good pitch. Both can/could carry a tune.

My Dad's eclectic music tastes influenced me. He never listened to traditional "rock". There was never any Beatles being played. He listens to:
Sade
Whitney Houston
Janet Jackson
Genesis
Dire Straits
Bob Marley
Enya
War
Enigma

My Mom liked Jim Morrison, Gipsy Kings, Wesley Willis, and Donny Osmond.

It all makes sense now.

There's a hilarious medley of (whisper) "Sade dis-moi", (excessive reverb) "Who can say where the road goes", and (hand claps) "Jobi Joba" going on in my head right now.

[Ostinato Rubato]

By the way Gene I think we have the same parents...

[BroSlinger]

By the way Gene I think we have the same parents...

Probably.

[Devin]

My mom was a total hippie when she was young and always had awesome music playing in the house from the time I was a wee tot.

She has to be the main reason I've been so in to music my entire life.

But she was never a musician of any kind.

[JerEvil]

My dad sang and played guitar as a hobby. He was literally good at everything he did except being a parent. My grandmother on my mom's side was musically gifted. Played a tone of stringed instruments and incredible singer. This are the only two I know of in my family.

[VTM]

My dad sang and played guitar as a hobby. He was literally good at everything he did except being a parent. My grandmother on my mom's side was musically gifted. Played a tone of stringed instruments and incredible singer. This are the only two I know of in my family.

I can identify with that one for sure.

[Devin]

Me also, except my dad isn't musical

[EndTime]

Extended family. Yes..

My parents. Nope. But they did listen to music often.

But from like 2yo my mom claimed to know i would be a musician. Not sure I qualify as one, but apparently from the point of crawling and getting into shit I was always playing with something that made noise/music. Like those little child xylophones. Lol. I do remember loving that thing!

[VTM]

My dad did vocals, guitar, bass, piano. I used to sit outside his jam room and listen to him and his buds rock thru his original stuff and covers but unfortunately no recordings. They would never let me in the room while they were playing, for some reason. My mom is not musical at all.

Here's a pic of my dad in his jam/gun room in 1973. He was probably drunk.

[newholland]

not a lick.

my mom is a TOTAL hifi nerd, so grew up around playback galore and a big record collection. her youngest brother was a huge folkie. my granny rocked the hammond. thats it.

[Ry Manchu]

My mom is an excellent pianist and also plays guitar and bells. She made me learn piano, but I sucked and quit. She was happy 3 years later when I started to play the guitar.

She is the oldest of three. Her middle brother plays the pipe organ, xylophone and marimba. He also designed and installed the Full Sail recording studio with the Neve board and was the first recording instructor when they moved to Winter Park. He does A/V at trade shows now.

Her youngest brother plays bass and drums in a nationally televised church. He is an excellent music reader, but terrible improviser.

My brother played guitar for 3 years, but quit when he went off to college. He sucked.

I have two cousins on my mom's side, neither are musical.

My dad has 2 brothers. None are musical. All are excellent shots with pistols.

My dad's older brother's oldest son plays guitar, but he won't play for me. He owns a music store for tax purposes.

The rest of the cousins on my dad's side aren't musical.

It's too soon to say, but my son appears to have musical ability. He is 3, likes music and can keep a drum beat.

[Loop Bizkit]

Yeah, bigtime on my dad's side. He's one of six kids... I have 19 first cousins on my dad's side alone lol.

My Dad plays sax/piano/drums/guitar/sings.
Uncle #1 plays guitar and sings.
Uncle #2 Plays drums really well.
Uncle #3 went to Interlochen and played trombone in the McDonalds all-american band.
Both Aunts are classical pianists, and taught piano.

Grandpa still plays piano, and baritone in the Lions Club band. He's 89.
Great Uncle plays baritone too, and was a high school band director.


Every. Single. One. of my 19 cousins on my dad's side has had some sort of musical instruction, except me lol. I'm the only self-taught one. My cousin Sarai is probably my favorite. She owns a hair salon in Denver and is a metal singer, very similar to the girl in iwrestledabearonce.

Family Christmas is fun. We don't really jam like a partidge family or anything, but there's a constant rotation of someone banging on a piano, and a guitar being handed around.

[emin]

Not really. They both liked music, but lacked discipline. The did play the radio a lot!

My mother supposedly played accordion for a couple weeks when she was in grade school.

My dad wanted to learn to play guitar. I remember going with him to Sears Surplus when I was a kid. He bought a guitar, amp, and music book. That lasted about two days, then the guitar was put into a closet where it sat until I found it a few years later and started playing.

I always think it's funny. They knew I liked music and had some interest in guitar, but they took no interest in my playing. Fast forward 30 years or so and they came to one of my gigs. They were surprised and duly impressed. They told me afterward that they were a little nervous going because they didn't really know if I could play, and they didn't want me to embarrass myself. I'd been gigging for years, but like I said, they showed no interest.

Now my mom thinks I'm a rock star and tries to get me to give her band posters so she can give them to her friends! Funny, but no!!

[mortatone]

My Grandpa supposedly played guitar but I never saw him play, Mom played clarinet in high school but never as a hobby. I played trombone in middle school but never was around anyone that played anything. I honestly feel like my growing up was such a missed opportunity for music. I was always intensely attracted to music but there was never anyone in my life to share the fire with until well into my adulthood and even still I kinda feel like an island in that regard.

[K-Bizzle]

My great grandmother would sometimes play the ukelle, I think she only knew one song.
My aunt was a pretty solid piano player at one time (20 years ago). My other aunt can play a few guitar chords.
My stepdad thought guitar was cool but never really learned.

Thats the full extent of the musical accomplishments of my family, so no.

[itchyfingers]

Thanks for sharing hommies! I like the fact that so many of you got into guitar on your own, it gives me hope for the next generation of guitar heroes.

My dad did vocals, guitar, bass, piano. I used to sit outside his jam room and listen to him and his buds rock thru his original stuff and covers but unfortunately no recordings. They would never let me in the room while they were playing, for some reason. My mom is not musical at all.

Here's a pic of my dad in his jam/gun room in 1973. He was probably drunk.

DBN, did your dad also like to dig large holes in the backyard?

J/K, that photo is impressive on so many levels.

[VTM]

DBN, did your dad also like to dig large holes in the backyard?

J/K, that photo is impressive on so many levels.

Dig? Nah, that's what the dynamite was for.



I always thought that pic would make a great album cover. I've got a few other gems like this one.

[The Hiryuu]

Yep. My dad was a drummer for most of his life and also dabbled in keys and several other instruments. My uncle is a guitarist and has played in cover bands for longer than I've been alive. My grandfather was a guitarist...for the longest time I thought he played in Jerry Lee Lewis's backing band, but I misinterpreted the story and his band just opened for Jerry Lee Lewis. One of my cousins is a bassist and dabbles in guitar and does EDM stuff too. Almost everyone in my dad's generation on both sides of the family were in drum corps at some point. A few of my aunts and great aunts sang in church choirs, and I think one of my great aunts is/was an opera singer.