Are you from a musical family?

[Richland123]

Nope. The only thing anybody in my family could play was the radio.

[PimasterPearson]

Not really. My dad plays banjo and sings (very loudly), but it's just an occasional hobby for him. On my mom's side, my grandpa sang a lot (tenor) and my grandma was a really good pianist. But I'm definitely the most passionate musician in the family. I'm trying to get my young nephew interested in music - he already has some toy drums, a xylophone, and a ukulele.

[Slax]

Nope. No one in my family plays an instrument. Most of my friends do though.

[kozmikyak]

My father's side of the family was reltaively talented. My aunt (father's sister) became quite skilled at classical piano before giving it up in adulthood. My father took some piano lessons as a child but gave it up due to difficulties reading the music from the page. He got in trouble for picking up songs by ear.

I feel that if my father had been allowed to learn guitar or bass, and play the music he really wanted, he may have become very skilled at it. He is a walking encyclopedia of the last 60 years of popular music. He has a highly developed intuitive sense of pitch, structure, and timbre as relates to popular songs. He constantly makes very insightful observations about the music he hears.

On my mother's side, there seemed to be little skill at _making_ music. However, when I decided to pursue cello seriously, she was the one that took an interest in going to classical music concerts and made sure I was well-stocked with classical music records. She did the convincing when my skills outgrew inexpensive instruments, and put the family's finances on the line for a fine instrument that served me well into my college years. She created an environment where I was allowed to pursue music without limits. So, while she did not have great musical skill, she had great interest in allowing me to succeed, and _cultivated_ an interest in classical music she didn't originally have, in order to facilitate me. Was this not just as important as musical skill in developing my abilities?

I'm a bit torn, though, regarding the source of musical talent. I started learning cello through the school system's music program, then switched to Suzuki method until college age, then went back to traditional learning. One of the Suzuki method's tenets is that music is not an inborn talent, but something that anyone can learn.

Now that I'm grown up, and don't have to accept that as dogma, I have to refine that understanding a bit. I do believe that music ability is not an on/off toggle switch that gets set at conception. About 99.9% of people _can_ learn to make music. However, the speed at which that learning can occur might be faster or slower for each individual based on genetic gifts, or on exposure to music during early development. And since we all have limited lifetimes, the speed of learning might dictate how far one can reach.

I've learned to treat lots of things that way--I dare not say that I just _can't_ learn something new. Almost anything can be learned. However, some things will take so much time and effort, for so little benefit, that I choose to not pursue them, rather to invest my time and effort on more easily attainable things that will give me more enjoyment or utility.

[MD]

My mom was a professional singer.
My dad tried to sing, mostly in the shower.
My sister couldn't carry a tune if you strapped it to her back.

[ntenny]

My dad's side of the family is kind of ridiculously musical. My grandfather, now in his 90s, still plays the organ from "sheet music" consisting of advertisements for old pop standards; he uses them as inspiration, and once reminded of a song by glancing at the cover, he plays it by ear, not note-for-note but with reasonable accuracy and high musicality.

Better yet, and TB-appropriately, my grandma switched from cello to upright bass so she could be in the high school dance band with the cute guy who later became my grandfather. Her showpiece was "Big Noise From Winnetka". Regrettably, she's never played in the years I've known her (and doesn't have an instrument to pass down to her descendants), but she's always been very tickled that I found my way to the same instrument family. *Her* father apparently was one of those "pick up anything and play it" multi-instrumentalists, and used to bring rural Ozark musicians around to their house to record them (no one knows what happened to the tapes, which is a real shame).

As far as I know we've never had any professionals, except for a distant multi-great-uncle who was a very successful opera baritone (four years in the Met). Well, one of my direct ancestors was a drummer boy in the Revolutionary War, but I don't know if that counts as "professional" (nor if he was any good).

-NT

[tmdazed]

My dad took accordion lessons for a few years while in elementary school, mom doesn't do anything musical , but artsy creative stuff , she is a whiz. Dad has not picked his accordion up in close to 30 years . We always had an eclectic mix of musical genres playing on the record player while I was growing up though, from classical, old school country, 80's pop, 70's rock, metal, thrash, punk, 60's hits, 50's rock, etc. My folks love music but are not all that musical, and encouraged us (my 2 younger sisters and I) in visual and musical arts.

Myself I started the ball rolling (being oldest sibling) I started playing trumpet in grade 6 , played bugle in our army cadet (think boy scouts with military ordinance) marching band , moved on to guitar, then bass, in process of teaching myself keyboards and recording engineering/producing right now. Mediocre at best with all the above

my middle sister played oboe and clarinet, it has been probably 20 years since she touched either, too bad too , she was pretty amazing at both.

my youngest sister played flute and I think dabbled in the clarinet, there again , talented but lost interest.

my dad, sisters and myself all sing not bad and can hack around pretty much any song if we put our minds to it.

my two kids are pretty amazing in their own rights with music, my son plays guitar and sings, and my daughter writes songs and sings (helps she has a producer as a boyfriend too)

Nowadays its just my kids and myself that play anything seriously , but I hope my kids pass the tradition on to their offspring when the time comes

[Stilettoprefer]

My dad played trumpet in high school, and my mom played accordion for a few years. Neither were ever very serious about music.

My sister plays trumpet, but she's quitting when she graduates high school. My cousin is a pretty good classical guitarist, and my aunt plays piano. And I hear that my grandfather used to shred the harmonica when he was in the military!

I'm the only person in my family that plays multiple instruments, though. (trombone, bass, guitar, piano, uke and melodica) Am also the only member of the family that gigs.

Edit: oh! My grandma played upright bass in high school. I guess I got the low end genes from her:P

[fivestringgecko]

Neither of my parents are musical OR artistic in the slightest... And I'm a graphic designer / bass player.

5sg.

[bassmanbiff]

grandmother was a music teacher for the whole area around where I grew up. It was interesting all though school to have teachers that knew her.

Mother was a piano player.

Brother was a great guitar player.

Son is a great singer and developing guitar/bass player.
Daughter is a great singer and piano player, if she'd let herself go with it.

Father claims he played cornet in high school. And he bought a guitar for himself when I was about 15. It's that instrument that both my brother and myself started on. Father kind of abandoned it after trying out "Red River Valley" from the song book.

[MarkMgibson]

My parents didn't play instruments (except a few chords on guitar), but there was always music playing in our house and everyone say along. My sister, brother and I all have perfect pitch (I don't know why), and I assumed it was completely normal until I attended my first music class in primary school.

My sister plays violin quite well, but it's just a hobby; she's a doctor. My brother is a very good drummer and singer and has played in lots of bands (a couple with me). He's also a DJ on a local alternative radio station, so he's very well known in the local music scene. He mostly made a living with music until he had a family.

All of my nieces and nephews play instruments and/or sing with varying degrees of talent. We're no different than most families, except television has never been the "default" entertainment for any of us, unlike many other households.

[Mike M.]

I don't think anyone from my mom's side of the family played an instrument. On my dads side my dad played piano and one of my uncles played guitar, but neither one of them played professionally.

My dad was a pretty decent player. As a child I can still remember him playing "Clare De Lune" and I can very well recall feeling the emotion of that song.

I have six younger brothers and other than me only one of my brothers plays guitar, but he's just an at home player.

[plankspanker13]

Yes; mom played piano and sang, and was my first music teacher. By the time I was age 7, she realized that I had more talent and potential, and that I had reached her level of proficiency. When I picked up the bass, at 18, her criticism was that I never made a dime with my music, and never would. I had shattered that by the age of 21. I'm now pushing 50, and am still lucky enough to have her around. She even occasionally shows up at a gig.

[Moogerbass]

Yes. Both my parents played musical instruments, although they both gave it up when they got married at a young age.

My brothers is a singer and guitarist with a couple of platinum albums and singles under his belt (and he's still having a day job btw).

I play bass in a couple of bands; one of them has a record deal. Also having a day job.

My oldest daughter just picked up piano lessons at the age of 7 so let's wait and see how it's going to work out.

[CJAtheBassman]

My sister plays plays guitar (since age 12), ukulele and occasionally messes around with harmonica. Prior to this, my mom had persuaded her to take piano lessons, but that didn't last long.
She was very supportive when I decided to take up bass and I taught her some songs on bass several months after I started playing. I also inherited her old guitar after she had moved on to a very nice used Ovation guitar.

I also have a cousin and an uncle who both play guitar.

[BenBL]

mom: nearly tone deaf never played any instruments, also she can't keep a beat for her life

Dad: I think he tried his hands at drums once, It didn't stick

Sister: She was pretty good at piano when she took lessons and can do some stuff now, she used to be in chorus in middle school

Apparently my grandmother on my dad's side used to play piano at parties, jsut like sing a long stuff, I never met her so I don't know.

My uncle (by marriage): used to play solo piano gigs to pay for college, he was pretty good

so compared to some of you I don't have a musical family at all

[carlthegroover]

Nope. Apparently my maternal grandfather (who I actually owe a lot!) used to play a bit of piano, and an uncle (who passed away a couple years ago) had an acoustic guitar, but that's pretty much it.

I'm the only one, and it's not the greatest because I can't talk about music in depth with my family.

P.S. My dad can talk about even minute details of music from around the 60s to 80s for hours, especially about the Beatles. He's a huge fan. I can't follow him, though, because I'm not nearly a fan as he is.

[BumbleB]

My parents aren't very musical as far as performing goes but they do appreciate listening to music.
My uncle plays the banjo.
One of my cousins played the piano for a long time, and was a department store pianist for a while.
Another of my cousins played the flute in high school and college.
I have 3 brothers who all played instruments.
My youngest older brother played guitar in high school.
My middle older brother played bass in high school and some of college I think. He still dabbles with playing music from time to time. He can't devote himself to it now as much as he could before because he is a doctor now and has a family.
My oldest older brother stuck with music the longest, even up until his untimely death. He played mainly guitar family instruments (guitar, ukulele, mandolin, and lute) and he also made a couple of his own guitars such as a 3/4 scale flying V and a crazy shaped ukulele. He also played the violin and some others too I believe.

As far as my in-laws go, my father in law plays the trombone in his local bands but has experience on almost all the brass instruments. He also plays at his church sometimes if I recall. My mother in law used to play the clarinet and piano. My spouse used to also play clarinet and although does not play any instruments currently, has a very keen ear for music and wants to buy and learn how to play the electric cello.

My daughter is musical too, but needs cultivating and further development. She has a pretty good inner metronome and is currently learning the recorder as part of her school music program. We'd like to get her another instrument and probably lessons too but haven't narrowed down what would be a good fit for her. She has the energy and timing to be a drummer, thinks guitars are pretty cool and she likes to sing. I'm going to get in touch with the music teacher for a road map of the school's music program so we can have that to work with.

I am taking up the bass again. When I was younger I had short stints with the piano, recorder, violin and saxophone. I have always loved to sing. My inner metronome isn't very strong but it's being developed and I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on how to keep a melody going.

[Marginal Tom]

To my knowledge, neither of my parents nor any of my grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins or children ever played a musical instrument. Two of my younger brothers studied voice in college, but I don't think they played an instrument. My late wife took a few guitar lessons (which is why I started learning to play bass at age 30), but she never made any progress at all, and quit.

[Sonicfrog]

I come from a very musical family, at least as far as my brothers and sisters go...

And Dad.

He didn't play an instrument as far as I know. He did have a red guitar, but sold it at a garage sale in the early 70's (I document thoughts on the red guitar here.). I was pretty young. I don't know if he ever got any good at it, but he did sing to us every night on request. He had a good voice; deep and plain, but honest, with good tone. He would sing stuff like "The Keeper of the Eddistone Light", "Fox Went Out A Chilly Night", and others like it. He knew how to pick songs us kids would love. I think we got most of our musical genes from him....

My Mom?

Gotta steal this from BenBL:

mom: nearly tone deaf never played any instruments, also she can't keep a beat for her life

God bless my Mom! She really tried. Took piano lessons for years and just couldn't get it. Had no ear or timing. Can't sing a lick, and when she tries to tap out a beat on her thigh with her hand?????

But again, God bless her, she tried.

My earliest memories of any music is with my five siblings is sitting around the kitchen table sining all the harmonies to the Chad Mitchell Trio, Kingston Trio, Peter Paul and Mary, Carpenters, Eagles, Simon and Garfunkel, etc etc! (curiously, the Beatles were not a part of the rotation). I would always do the harmonies, and even create so 5ths that were not on the recordings themselves. I give full credit to those groups and my siblings for training my ear for harmonies.

My oldest sister Deb was a very good choir singer in college, and a good piano player too.

Brenda sings, plays piano and guitar. Quite good.

My closest sister Mary Beth never really took an interest in learning an instrument past clarinet in high school band. But our musical tastes are quite similar, and we sang some Simon and Garfunkel to my Dad when he was on his final day in hospice. He would have loved it if he could have heard.

Here's a video of us goofing on PS's "Me and Julio" after we laid him to rest.

That's my older brother Jeff on guitar and singing lead. Wonderful musician. He switched from bass to guitar in the early 80's, and he gave me his old bass, which is how I became a bass player. I really admire him as a musician. Has given me some very good advise over the years, along with an older brotherly slap upside the head from time to time.

My little brother Rob? Maybe the most talented musician of all of us as far as raw talent goes. He was an amazing drummer! Had Porcaro type timing. Sing and also learned to play guitar. But he got married and decided music was an immature thing to do. He always had the burning desire to become a big star. When ir didn't happen, I think he lost the love of playing. Too bad too, because it's a talent that is wasted.

PS. Here's my group Taylor Martin doing our version of "Me and Julio". Me in the fedora and singing the high harmonies, as is my way. (we start at 2 minutes in)