I give my parents a lot of grief over the music we were raised on. A lot of Jim Reeves (my mom's favorite) and Statler Brothers and Conway Twitty. Old country, as it were, as well as the "new" stuff. Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, etc. That whole early '90s revival. We didn't get a lot of radio stations in our town and the choices were country, several Spanish stations and one "Top 40 UGH" station. So...not so much with the choices. And country always won out, of course. I really, really hated it. But at least we WERE raised on music. There was always music around. EVERY DAY. Even if it wasn't music I approved of.
I realize that I am biased with my utter love when it comes to music, but I don't understand NOT living with music constantly around. If I'm in the kitchen? iPod going. If I'm in the family room during the day? iPod going. Car? Yup. iPod going. I've HEARD of people who drive in silence. Granted, I don't really know any of these people *lalalalalalalalalala...I can't hear you!*, but I think that they exist. Somewhere. And people who have silence in their homes, when the t.v. isn't on. But I am not one of those. It's all about the music in our house.
I've said before that I can link every memory I have with a song. Music is so powerful that I can tell my entire life story through lyrics. Childhood, high school, college, my first marriage, meeting Isaac, each of our homes, the birth of Sammy: all of them have songs tied to them, for better or worse. For those who don't listen to music, what are the memories tied to? It's something I think about a lot. And I have to say? I do not understand it at all, the lack of music in some peoples lives. How else do you signal spring, but with a return of Jack Johnson on the car playlist?
So I will have my memories of my dad trying to get us to dance on any random Saturday afternoon to awful country playing on the record player and marry them with the memories of Sammy and I dancing through the kitchen to Paul Weller and Jack Johnson and Crowded House and hope that this is one legacy that Sammy not only embraces, but embraces so whole-heartedly that he'll one day pull his own daughter up from the couch on a random Saturday afternoon and try to get her to dance.
(uh huh oh yeah, paul weller)
Tawnya, if you replace your name with my name in this post -- this is ME! I can't believe how you described it. Every memory... I have a song to go with it. I always have music on.
ReplyDeleteI grew up listening to The Eagles, CCR, Boston, Alabama, Kansas, etc, from my parents (as well as MANY musicals from my Mom). My older siblings brainwashed me with Styx, Pink Floyd, Blue Oyster Cult and Deep Purple just to name a few... yeah. :)
Zeke grew up around very similar music... it's been really fun for us to go back and remember.
Isaac is a big lover of classic rock - CCR, etc. And my brother always listened to Kansas and The Eagles. It's funny to see where we all went with our tastes after being raised so singularly!
ReplyDeleteJacob occasionally drives in silence. It creeps me out.
ReplyDeleteI remember my first roommate who explained that she had never owned a record, tape or cd. I just stared at her like she was an alien.
So does Isaac, but I choose to overlook that for the good of our relationship.
ReplyDeleteHow on earth did you live together well?
Ha, ha! Well, I'm one of those weirdos that have silence in their homes. Sometimes I have music playing, but sometimes it is nice just to have quiet too. I usually play music when I am getting dressed, but then I turn it off. When I used to work, my co-workers would always play music, and at first it was so hard for me because I couldn't concentrate on my work, but eventually I got used to it.
ReplyDeleteI laughed when I read this line, "How else do you signal spring, but with a return of Jack Johnson on the car playlist?" because earlier this week, in a quiet moment at our house, I could hear birds outside chirping. I thought, Spring must be just about here. And, I know when summer is coming because I can hear the laughter of children outside. I appreciate music, but I also appreciate the things I can hear when there is not music.
I have tried the no music thing, the driving in silence, etc. but then the music just goes on in my head instead.
ReplyDeleteThe kids asked me the other day when I learned to dance and I told them Grandpa taught me my first dance in the living room on a Saturday afternoon. Gotta love it.
Amanda - that is just SO foreign to me. I cannot wrap my head around it! Did you grow up with music in your house?
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ReplyDeleteOops, sorry! The deleted comment was from me. My sister had done something with her blog on my computer and was still logged in when I went to comment. Here is the post I was trying to do:
ReplyDeleteSometimes...I guess not really. We would play music when we were cleaning or getting ready for the day, but otherwise no. My little sister is way into music though. She is always trying to get me to listen to some song or band. So, maybe it is just me.
I think that's SO interesting just because it's so different than my experience!
ReplyDeleteI'm a no music-er. It's either NPR or silence in the car. And almost always silent at home. I love to hear the rhythms of our house working. And I can't seem to think or process things very well when there is music playing (even mellow or classical music becomes noise). Funny I married a musician. Who now lives mostly without music playing.
ReplyDeleteIsaac's a big NPR-er, as well...
ReplyDeleteCindy is very non-music... I drives me insane and creeps me out. She doesn't understand that it is possible to talk while music is on at the same time, and that the absence of music literally screws with my head!!!
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I remember you owning and listening to, of your own accord, a fair few country tapes and cds, T... :)
D
ps. There's a 6 disk changer in Neil, and I thought you'd find it interesting what I currently have in there: 1) Adam Lambert, 2) Don Williams, 3) mixed disk of Aqua, Foo Fighters, Creed, etc, 4) Smiths, 5) White Zombie, 6) Stone Temple Pilots...
EVERYONE listened to country in the early 90s. I also taught country dance. It was very in fashion. That doesn't negate the fact that I don't approve now...
ReplyDeleteI guess I'll have to agree. I don't approve of most country music now either. Dad
ReplyDeleteHeh...I'd love to count this as a win, but I don't think you'd see it that way!
ReplyDeleteT - so... does that mean that you are following fashionable music because it's the "in" thing to do as opposed to music that you like because you like it?
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Nope. Nope it does not. If I did, then I would have liked the New Kids on the Block. And Mariah Scary. What it DOES mean is that I was 18, in love with a boy and taught country dance. That is all.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention the tapes I actually OWNED were for people like James Blundell. Who is Australian. Which trumps country. And Chris LeDoux. Who was so country he nearly looped back around.
(I would never say the music I listen to is either fashionable nor popular...NOTHING I've ever done is fashionable or popular, trust me!)
Okay. Just checking... I am curious as to how James Blundell, a country artist, trumps country...?
ReplyDeleteD
He's australian. Australian trumps country. Unless you're Keith Urban. So maybe it was just a moment of craziness...
ReplyDelete... ok... I don't understand how that works. I'm missing something. What's special about being Australian?
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For you? Nothing. I was just kidding around since I like so many Australian musical acts. Don't worry about it...
ReplyDeleteAh... right... was trying to figure out what it was I was missing...
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I'm a NPR/non-music person for the most part (glad to know I'm not alone). I generally only listen to music when I'm in the car. That hasn't worked out so well here though because very few stations come through clearly. Hooking up and unhooking my iPod (so it doesn't get stolen) all the time while running errands is too big of a hassle so I generally save that for long drives. Some day I'll have a nice new fancy car that'll be more tech-savvy.
ReplyDeleteI grew up with music in the home. Led Zeppelin, Eagles & Steve Miller Band from my dad, Fleetwood Mac, Petula Clark & Carole King from my mom. I take after my dad for the most part.
I think the reason I like the quiet is because I'm a thinker and music is distracting to me (so is TV, my whining toddler, my crying baby and pretty much any noise). It seems like the quiet moments are so few these days that I treasure them when they come and don't feel like adding to the noise. It's not that I don't like music. I do, but sometimes I just need quiet.
I have noticed lately though that some days I feel like I'm just surviving instead of enjoying life and I don't like that feeling. One of the things I decided to do to overcome that is to try to add more music back into my life. I bought some new stuff and updated my playlist a little bit. It's been nice. I know that's probably a foreign though to you to have to think about turning music on. It's just not a habit for me yet, maybe someday it will be. I like the idea of it. Music is very powerful.
On a side note, I've had 3 people in the last month tell me that they don't like to read. It had never even occurred to me that such a thing was possible. It still has me reeling a little bit. I imagine that's how you feel about not having music in your life.
I also know a few non-readers. So foreign...
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