Did your parents play an instrument too?

[Hounddog]

My mom,all 6 of her sisters and all of their kids (my cousins) are musicians. Family reunion is like a big jamfest. Most of them are great singers also. Very fun. I have a cousin that is the most solid bass player I have ever seen. He says he wishes he had my licks but he is the fortunate player. I dont think I have ever seen him hit a wrong note and his timing is impecable. That is much more impressive than licks and chops. I have seen very few players that solid. Can also sing those extremely high girl harmonies that make your spine tingle. Always a joy to watch him.

 

[LzeroKI]

My mother and everyone of her 5 siblings took lessons and learned at least one instrument starting at a young age, her father was a classically trained violinist. My father's father also played violin, but it was more of a hobby for him.

 

[happybacon]

just sticking in my two cents! my dad plays guitar and is the best ive ever seen and an amazing mentor. I think i must have gotten something from him.

 

[Rudreax]

According to my parents, there's never been anyone else before this generation that had any interest in music. I do have a 20-year-old cousin that's an extremely good singer (self-taught on CDs and radio) and a 5-year-old cousin that learning drums and can already hold a good beat.

 

[chuck3]

my parents were not instrumentalists but were both very involved in musical theater, writing lyrics in both parents' case and directing in my father's case. My father had a great jazz collection and as a small child (I was the youngest of four) I grew up absorbing it. My three older sisters were all very musical and we grew up being expected to sing on key, sing harmony and at least play piano and guitar. Church music was defisnitely a factor too. I have no doubt these influences led to me being a pretty versatile musician today despite having relatively little formal training. As to being a bass player, I think my dad's jazz collection had a bigger influence than anything else. Ray Brown! His lines were my musical foundation as a kid.

 

[jarrod cunningham]

dad plays guitar and sings , brother played bass and drums , mom plays piano , kb , violin . sister plays violin , kb , and tried guitar .

 

[MisterMagician]

I am the only person in my family who has ever played an instrument or much less liked music (music post 1950 that is).

I always took a liking to the reaction I got from making loud, commanding, and aggressive noise though which piqued my interest in music pretty early.

 

[rosanne]

Neither of my parents played an instrument but my mom sang around the house a lot (good singer). She made sure I learned to play the piano and organ when I was as kid. I had a cousin who was a professional accordion player/studio musician in LA(he's dead now), and supposedly have a cousin who is a songwriter in Nashville(but don't know her name). My son plays drums, guitar, keys and bass.

 

[GRISSLEHEAD]

Dad played 1st Trumpet in the American Legion Band in the '40's & played coronet in the Army during WWII
Mom played piano
Sister played Accordian
Brother still plays drums with me

 

[fenderfunker]

I'm enjoying this thread, and I get the impression that being a musician, in a family of musicians, gives a sense of carrying on a tradition and a sense of belonging. All nice things for a human to feel.
Do you think fewer kids are learning instruments, now that most entertainment involves a screen of some description?

 

[standupright]

yep.

mother played flute (no jokes please) and guitar

father plays trombone (retired from the virginia symphony) and also a retired orchestra music teacher. so he also plays piano, bass, cello, viola, and violin.

 

[Goatee220]

My Dad plays tenor banjo, mandolin and guitar. He said he dabbled in standup bass back in the day, but I've never heard him play. He played banjo in the Mummers Parade in Philly for about 35 years, and also in a trio that does Irish music. Both of my brothers have an ear for music, but I'm the only one who actually plays. I have cousins that play too.

 

[Gunnerhea86]

my dad played the organ (think "the doors" or "the animals")

 

[MisterMagician]

my dad played the organ (think "the doors" or "the animals")

The Animals had some tasty organ parts.

 

[fenderfunker]

The Animals had some tasty organ parts.

Is that some carnivore joke??

 

[Ef4]

two of my uncles on my mothers side were musicians. One was a sax player and the other plays keyboard. I think i got my love of jazz from them

 

[T-Funk]

My mother played piano in church.

 

[MisterMagician]

Is that some carnivore joke??

Wow, I didn't even notice the the double meaning for that.

But yes, those fey British boys were quite delicious.

 

[fenderfunker]

I grew up listening to Miles, Charlie Parker, Mingus, Coltrane etc, and later, Return to Forever. It sure made it hard to enthuse about ABBA, Deep Purple and the Eagles, at school, like all the other kids.

 

[dangnewt]

My Mom learned a few chords on a guitar that my Dad bought her. My great grandfather made a violin and could play a bit I understand. I don't have much that much talent so there might be something in (or not in) our genes.

My cousin's son was a drummer in a band that got a little bit of local traction. Maybe it skips generations or he got it from his mom.