A couple-few years after seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, with my father's commentary ("Bunch of damned foolishness!"), he and I were riding in the car when a rendition of Yesterday, played by Mantovani or some orchestra like that, came on the radio. The song ended as Dad pulled the car into the driveway at home and he said something to the effect of, "Now, you see? Played like that, that's good music. Why do they have to use electric guitars and have all that hair?" I didn't say anything, just chuckled and got out, because there was no point in saying anything. Fergawd'ssake, he couldn't remember that Yesterday was originally played with an orchestra, because it was sung by a guy who he knew had long hair! I grew up traditionally trained as a musician, but my parents played a wide variety of music at home. To this day, give me Sinatra singing any Nelson Riddle arrangement, Glen Miller's catalog, the Dorsey Brothers, Woody Herman, or most old standards and I'm happy as a clam. I've got my parents to thank for that. I picked up my love of Bach's music, especially organ pieces, on my own. The rest of the classical world followed in quick order. None of that was "damned foolishness." But by the time I was in high school and playing organ in a rock band, the Old Man was suddenly proud of me, and suggesting gigs the band should try to get. I still can't figure it.This is exactly how I was taught music theory at university. You've got a pencil that you'll need because ink certainly won't do. And we write out the chords measure for measure. Any attempt to correlate what I learn to write on paper with an instrument is irrelevant. Now I guess as a lady GOF, I'm a music major. At least this time I see a correspondence with theory and my instrument
PDQ Bach is to me as much a part of the time of Woodstock as Woodstock. Report from Hoople: PDQ Bach on the Air took ample play in my room. Because someone was raised in a household of classical music. Surrounded by classical musicians, I was, at an impressionable ageExplaining the plot of the rock opera Tommy to my father was like explaining [think of your own metaphor]
Nowadays both parents are working, no time to teach their kids proper social skills, teachers in a tug of war with parents on where the line is drawn on how much they should learn from the family and how much at school. Then the kids have to do rehearsals for possible horrible tragedies. My life was more like The Beaver's on TV. I think I was pretty blessed. I did get spanked a couple times but all in all my parents were loving and kind.
