Music and Family

If there was no music, [life] could be kind of boring.

            

            When asked his favorite song as a child, my father became very hesitant as he pondered for his answer. I knew at this time that he was going to have a lot to tell about the music he used to enjoy. He began talking about the songs he liked during the 60’s. He was very young at this time and was only exposed to a few pop songs that came on AM radio. Some of these songs were “Sugar, Sugar” and “Higher and Higher.” He took a personal interest in pop music in forth grade by listening to music by bands such as Grass Roots and Bread. Middle school not only brought about physical changes, but also served as a transition into listening to music that is geared for an older crowd. This music could be found “all over the place,” but he was mostly exposed to this more mature music when he hung out with his older friends. My dad then began to tell a story about how he discovered his first favorite band. My grandfather was working at a restaurant at the time and knew that a cover band was going to be playing songs by The Allman Brothers. He knew that my dad liked music, so he brought a recording device to record the concert and then took it home. Little did he know, this recording initiated a large turning point for my dad’s taste in music. The music by the Allman Brothers, especially the song Black Hearted Woman, turned his attention to blues based music. His first record by the Allman Brothers was Fillmore East.

            Music could be listened to on the radio, 45 records, LPs, 8 tracks, cassette tapes, and certain television programs during my father’s childhood. The beginning of the FM radio created an immense impact on how to listen to music, as these FM stations would play entire albums rather than only pop songs. My dad recalled when he often stayed up until ten and eleven o’clock at night to listen to the radio. Generally when songs were very popular, they were sold as albums in record stores. 45 records cost a little less than a dollar, and LPs cost five dollars. Some LP records were sold at a discounted price because they had been cleared out. These cut outs were easily distinguishable because the corner of the cardboard casing was clipped off or had a hole punched into it. My dad found a great hobby in sorting through cut outs while his mom was grocery shopping because “[he] had a chance of getting some pretty good stuff.” Cassette players began their popularity in the early 70’s. This device could record sounds and make music portable by transferring songs from a record to a cassette tape. Music could also be listened to on the “Midnight Special” that showed on television on Friday nights. No matter what technology my dad used to listen to music, “ever since [he] was a little kid, [he] has had contraptions that make the music sound better and better.” 

            My dad’s love for music influenced what his younger siblings listened to. They especially liked the pop records and Bubblegum Rock. He introduced them to a lot of music they may not have otherwise listened to or known about. My dad stressed his opinion on the difference between rock and pop music by stating, “once you started listening to rock music the other stuff didn’t seem as satisfying anymore.” This new genre of music was exciting and unique. Dad would seek out new music, bring it home to play it, and then his siblings would listen to it. Even when he moved out of the house, his brother and sister listened to his old records. It was hard to avoid listening to music because it was everywhere and was a popular thing to do. Music could be heard at dances, rock concerts, and the outside of nightclubs. A lot of rock concerts were held at the Gaillard Auditorium in Charleston. Very popular bands performed in Columbia; it was there that my dad saw Eric Clapton perform. The majority of the time, music was listened to at a house or in a car with only with a few friends. There was even a competition among the young drivers to see who's car stereo sounded the best.   

            Besides listening to music, my dad also began playing music as a child. In fifth grade, he was tested at school to determine if he had an aptitude for music. The judges stated that they never had a child score as well as he did. My dad was originally drawn to the French horn because he liked how it looked. His father, however, discouraged this choice by saying, “Aw Nick, the French horn is no good. You can’t be in a swinging band with a French horn. You have to play the trumpet.” My dad played the cornet in the concert and marching band until high school when he switched to tuba. When asked how he liked playing this instrument, he responded with the short and sweet answer, “I didn’t love it, but I liked it.” The trumpet required a lot of work and was very competitive. My dad also had a desire to play the guitar and harmonica. He bought a harmonica, but he was not able to play it. His true passion for playing an instrument began when he started playing the guitar around 1975. He liked playing the guitar more than the trumpet because it was closer to the music he really enjoyed and he played for his own personal satisfaction. His teacher, Mr. Johnson, helped him learn to play the blues.

            My dad concluded the interview by saying that the music he listened to as he was growing up shaped his personality. The lyrics, rhythm, and his feelings about blues-rock really influenced him to think in a particular way than if he had listened to classical or country music. His taste in music continued to expand even more as he got older. He still listens to the music he enjoyed in the late 60’s and early 70’s to this day. Music has been a vital component throughout my dad’s life. He summarized his feelings about music by stating, “If there was no music, [life] could be kind of boring.”