Joe
Far be it from me to dole out life lessons, but isn’t it funny how you reach a point when you look back and say, “I guess my parents knew what they were doing after all”.
When you ask musicians about who their influences have been they always have an interesting list. For me it is only four people. I was raised in a house where there was always music playing. There was no such thing as head phones, not until later. So when someone listened to music, we all did. My Mom danced the vacuum to The Four Seasons, Simon and Garfunkle, The Temptations, and 50′s doo-wop. My father washed the car to Conway Twitty, Buck Owens and Roy Clark. Even us kids, my older brother, John, and younger sister, Anne Marie, were always playing records.
When my parents signed my brother and I up for music lessons, it just seemed logical. I hated to practice though. My Mom and I used to have heated battles about the value of practicing versus playing some sport outside. My attitude may be the reason why my sister took dance sessions.
As I got older and started going to school dances, with live bands, I would stand right up front and watch the girls swoon over the singers and guitar players. I thought to myself, that should be me. The bands are playing stuff that we listened to all the time, the Beatles, Stones, Bowie, and Alice Cooper. So, my attitude quickly changed and that’s what I started working on. It’s different when YOU want it.
Anyway I have been lucky enough to meet some great people and some great players over the years. Bill was one of the first guys I ever jammed with in high school. We met up again 20 years later and have been working together for years now. We still talk about the music from our past. The first girl singer I worked with was my sister, Anne Marie. Just don’t ask her about it!
I really can’t imagine what life would be without music. I know I will never get tired of the feeling you get when the drummer counts off the first song of the night. There is no cure for that. It’s good to do what you love.
Thanks Mom and Dad!