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Did your parents play an instrument too?
- Thread starter fenderfunker
- Start date
Granpa played this old trombone when he was a kid, it was old when his mom bought it for $3. It resides today in my closet as an heirloom in it's original condition and case.
Years and years later, here comes me and band in jrhi, I got the trombone and played it...had to lip it up cos it's out of tune with the current standards lol, but he was so proud to see me up there on stage playing the old thing. I loved it. Marched with it too, it really was a cool ol relic. Oh yeah, it was also apart of the world's largest marching band (dodger stadium, 1986)even though we really didn't march, we stood there and played the national anthem, California girls and something else i can't even remember.
When I was walking out with my band some guy runs up, "hey I'll buy your trombone!" I said NOOOO WAY! This is my granpa's! Soooome people! After the show we got to watch the Dodgers lose lol!!
The horn no doubt is way over 100 years old now. Worthless to people, but priceless to me.
thats about it. My bro took up guitar though. When he fully heals up from his stroke (and he is, hes doing fab) he'll be back at it, and I'll be playing beside him.
Years and years later, here comes me and band in jrhi, I got the trombone and played it...had to lip it up cos it's out of tune with the current standards lol, but he was so proud to see me up there on stage playing the old thing. I loved it. Marched with it too, it really was a cool ol relic. Oh yeah, it was also apart of the world's largest marching band (dodger stadium, 1986)even though we really didn't march, we stood there and played the national anthem, California girls and something else i can't even remember.
When I was walking out with my band some guy runs up, "hey I'll buy your trombone!" I said NOOOO WAY! This is my granpa's! Soooome people! After the show we got to watch the Dodgers lose lol!!
The horn no doubt is way over 100 years old now. Worthless to people, but priceless to me.
thats about it. My bro took up guitar though. When he fully heals up from his stroke (and he is, hes doing fab) he'll be back at it, and I'll be playing beside him.
That's a really nice story. Thanks for sharing it. My father left me his baritone sax (see pics in original post). It was, I think, from the 1930s and only had two octaves (modern baritones have 3 octaves, I believe). As I couldn't carry it everywhere I move to, I traded it in on a silver flute. I am a bass player, so the flute was useless to me. The flute was traded to a power amp that I use all the time, but I still think of his baritone re-encarnated as an amp.
That's some fine parenting right there. Just like when I see young kids at a Tower of Power show. Love it.
If I was with my Dad (my folks got divorced when I was a baby) - he would have Ella Fitzgerald, Leon Redbone or some traditional Irish music on. My Mom, a different story. Tone deaf, no taste in music. She actually called me once and offered me tickets to see John Tesh in concert. She also loved the Michael Bolton/Kenny G show. Thank GOD I didn't get her ear (or lack thereof) for music.
My father is a trained tenor and he can play guitar and piano.
When I was younger I hated hearing him practice his vocal scales on the piano in the living room but looking back on it, it definately contributed to my interest in music.
When I was younger I hated hearing him practice his vocal scales on the piano in the living room but looking back on it, it definately contributed to my interest in music.
I'm from a very small family of only two brothers and 6 cousins but I'm the only person, including family members a couple of generations prior, who plays an instrument. My brothers played various instruments as kids but never pursued music beyond junior high school and into adulthood.
Mom played/plays piano and sings. Dad played trumpet. I followed both of them and then jumped into stringed instruments too so I could both play and sing at the same time.
First off, awesome thread. Very cool to hear about other people's genetic and environmental musical backgrounds.
Here's mine:
My mom is tone-deaf to the point of being unbearable when she decides she wants to sing along to something.
(sorry mom, love you!)
My dad is the reason I started playing music - he can literally play drums, piano, any stringed instrument and most wind/reed instruments The only instrument he said he could never get was the flute because he had trouble with getting the embouchure right.
His primary instruments were guitar, piano, and drums. He played in bands growing up on guitar and drums. He also used to be the drum sergeant in 2 different bagpipe cores in the Columbia MD/Washington DC area, being the lead snare. I've got some great pics of him in full tartan regalia from the 70s...pretty awesome stuff. I'll try to find and scan em and post them here.
He got me and my brother into music - teaching us piano from a young age and getting us to work with a drum practice pad (which we both regrettably didn't get further into...I'm just now in my late 20s starting to play drums).
Unfortunately, he can't play as much or as well as he used to because of battling Myasthenia Gravis for years (info here if you have not heard of it). He's healthy now, but his fine motor skills took quite a hit. He doesn't like to play drums any more because its too frustrating for him, but he'll still play guitar and piano every once in a while.
And although I never had a chance to hear her play while she was alive, I believe my dad's mother was a piano player as well.
I'm grateful for my musical upbringing and I look forward to bringing my soon-to-born son up in a similar environment.
Thanks for reading my long-winded rambles!
Here's mine:
My mom is tone-deaf to the point of being unbearable when she decides she wants to sing along to something.
(sorry mom, love you!)My dad is the reason I started playing music - he can literally play drums, piano, any stringed instrument and most wind/reed instruments The only instrument he said he could never get was the flute because he had trouble with getting the embouchure right.
His primary instruments were guitar, piano, and drums. He played in bands growing up on guitar and drums. He also used to be the drum sergeant in 2 different bagpipe cores in the Columbia MD/Washington DC area, being the lead snare. I've got some great pics of him in full tartan regalia from the 70s...pretty awesome stuff. I'll try to find and scan em and post them here.
He got me and my brother into music - teaching us piano from a young age and getting us to work with a drum practice pad (which we both regrettably didn't get further into...I'm just now in my late 20s starting to play drums).
Unfortunately, he can't play as much or as well as he used to because of battling Myasthenia Gravis for years (info here if you have not heard of it). He's healthy now, but his fine motor skills took quite a hit. He doesn't like to play drums any more because its too frustrating for him, but he'll still play guitar and piano every once in a while.
And although I never had a chance to hear her play while she was alive, I believe my dad's mother was a piano player as well.
I'm grateful for my musical upbringing and I look forward to bringing my soon-to-born son up in a similar environment.
Thanks for reading my long-winded rambles!
It certainly does in my case. Sometimes it feels like every time I play an instrument I'm suddenly aware of all my relatives who preceded me playing music. And you're absolutely right, these are nice things for a human to feel.
Sadly, I'd have to say yes. I remember in my younger days my friends and I getting together in a public park on a nice sunny afternoon and jamming for hours. I never see that nowadays.
My mother was a concert pianist. She was an invited guest pianist to perform with the Toronto Symphony when she was 15. She had to memorize a 102 page piano concerto. Ran through it once with the orchestra before performing with them. Had to memorize the orchestral parts as well. Did six encores. Was invited back when she was 16 and 17. Finished high school, got a job in bank and walked away from a promising career.
She studied under Alberto Guerrero who also had Glenn Gould as a student.
She learned to play piano when she was 8. Her father played fiddle with Don Messer, a Canadian TV icon in the 60's. Older Canadian's on TB may recognize the name.
The last time she played with anyone famous was about ten years ago when she introduced to Pinchas Zukerman in a restaurant next door to the National Arts Center in Ottawa. After lunch, they went into the arts center and played for about two hours. She got a kick out of that.
She's 73 now, arthritis has severely restricted her playing.
Quite the musician and mother. Big inspiration to the family: brother plays drums and has a jazz radio show in Ottawa, sister played violin with the Montreal Jr. Symphony. One of my daughters plays bass and the other drums.
She studied under Alberto Guerrero who also had Glenn Gould as a student.
She learned to play piano when she was 8. Her father played fiddle with Don Messer, a Canadian TV icon in the 60's. Older Canadian's on TB may recognize the name.
The last time she played with anyone famous was about ten years ago when she introduced to Pinchas Zukerman in a restaurant next door to the National Arts Center in Ottawa. After lunch, they went into the arts center and played for about two hours. She got a kick out of that.
She's 73 now, arthritis has severely restricted her playing.
Quite the musician and mother. Big inspiration to the family: brother plays drums and has a jazz radio show in Ottawa, sister played violin with the Montreal Jr. Symphony. One of my daughters plays bass and the other drums.
My dad played drums for the longest time. He stopped for awhile but now is getting back into it again which is nice. Being a bassist and drummer I can talk drums with my dad. Its awesome!
my mum played guitar and piano for a little bit when she was small, she said she hated it. dad "twiddled" as he says on guitar in school but then he gave up.
My grandfather played accordian (brought it with him for WWII), Great uncle played banjo.
My mother sang, and in the early 70's she got a back-up-vocal gig with a Bay Area top 40 cover band called "American Express"... guess who the drummer was... Yep, he ended up becoming my father. I like to think that without music, I wouldn't even be here today (well, music and drugs).
Side note: only other family that plays: 3 cousins, vox/piano, drums, and violin respectively. Also my younger sister was varsity chior in highschool.
My mother sang, and in the early 70's she got a back-up-vocal gig with a Bay Area top 40 cover band called "American Express"... guess who the drummer was... Yep, he ended up becoming my father. I like to think that without music, I wouldn't even be here today (well, music and drugs).
Side note: only other family that plays: 3 cousins, vox/piano, drums, and violin respectively. Also my younger sister was varsity chior in highschool.
Neither of my parents played, but there are a lot of musicians on my Mom's side of the family. It always amazed that my Grandma never owned a piano, but she would come over to our house and just play her butt off on old gospel stuff. I'm also related to the Plumber family on that side, they're like 2nd or 3rd cousins. For those who don't know, the Plumbers are one of the original Branson acts, back when it was an even smaller hellhole. They were there when the place was nothing. I think they're gone from there now though.
Dad 'tinkered' on guitar-after falling in love with Stones/Chuck Berry & buck Owens' sound. Bought himself a Tele copy in about '69...... I was drawn to bass since day 1.
Some great stories coming out of this thread.. A few are quite touching too. My own father went from playing sax with some of the top acts in the UK in the '60s to when he died in 1993, after 5 strokes at age 57, to only being able to play the bass foot pedals on an old organ. The strokes stopped him writing music, but nothing would stop him playing till his last gasp. I think I'll be the same, except the age 57 part, I hope.
My dad plays guitar and still has his all original 1969 Gibson Es-335 he's had since the year he got out of college (35 years ago)
Some cool instruments in this pic too.
Dad (2nd on right at rear) with the 'Beachcombers', around 1964, in the UK.
Some big hair happening in those days. Elvis infuenced I guess, except Dad, who was a jazzer. Way cool.
Dad (2nd on right at rear) with the 'Beachcombers', around 1964, in the UK.
Some big hair happening in those days. Elvis infuenced I guess, except Dad, who was a jazzer. Way cool.
