Mrs M
yoda76Did you listen to your parent's record collection?
December 4th 2006 02:25
All those old 45's and 33's and some 8 track cartridges. My parents certainly did not have CD’s. They still don’t. Purists. And I can’t say I was ever a fan of their music library. Primarily because their library consists of old folky Greek music that I just don’t get. Doesn’t mean that I was subjected to it by the truckloads (but that’s another topic – things your parents made you because they say it would be fun – I might do that one tomorrow. But I digress.)
I never gave it much thought before – how my parents might feel about the fact that we didn’t share the same musical tastes. I had my own music that I loved to listen to and didn’t see that it was a problem. Though one thing I do remember is that although my parents didn’t listen to Bon Jovi or The Police or Led Zeppelin, they didn’t once tell my siblings and I we were wasting our time listening to this stuff. There was always music in the house and a radio in every room.
Now I am blessed with 3 children of my own and my CD collection is over 400 strong and forever growing. What if there is nothing in my CD collection that my kids will listen to with me? What if we never discuss Alanis Morrisette’s first album release and concert tour; or those heady days of grunge and Nirvana or better yet, those Over The Top days of pretty boy hard rock bands in the late 80’s. These are pivotal moments. What if?
Surely with my sizeable CD collection covering music from the best part of the 20th Century and into the 21st Century, there will be something my kids will like. Surely.
My brother (45) had this very fear realized when his first born son (17) looked at him quizzically and said, “Led Zeppelin? Why are they so fantastic? Stairway to Heaven is crap”. My brother, sister and I just gasped for air.
My nephew’s education was about to begin. My brother sat his son down and played him the classics. He even went so far as to ensure that my nephew learned to play some of the songs to connect with the music and gain a deeper sense of the brilliance that is Led Zeppelin. Day and night, night and day, they discussed, listened and played until it was all covered and covered again. The outcome?
“They’re alright I suppose”, my nephew now says.
It was a disappointment not to see the twinkle in my nephew’s eye when Page’s gut punching guitar riff and Plant’s haunting primal scream in “Immigrant Song” blasted out the stereo.
Yes of course my nephew, as well as my children, will have their own taste in music that perhaps I won’t understand – but I’d like to think I would. But I can imagine it would be a bitter pill to swallow if your children disregard the songs that shaped you and continue to shape you.
So what does my nephew listen to? Those old folky Greek songs in my parents record collection. Oh, they would be so proud.
I never gave it much thought before – how my parents might feel about the fact that we didn’t share the same musical tastes. I had my own music that I loved to listen to and didn’t see that it was a problem. Though one thing I do remember is that although my parents didn’t listen to Bon Jovi or The Police or Led Zeppelin, they didn’t once tell my siblings and I we were wasting our time listening to this stuff. There was always music in the house and a radio in every room.
Now I am blessed with 3 children of my own and my CD collection is over 400 strong and forever growing. What if there is nothing in my CD collection that my kids will listen to with me? What if we never discuss Alanis Morrisette’s first album release and concert tour; or those heady days of grunge and Nirvana or better yet, those Over The Top days of pretty boy hard rock bands in the late 80’s. These are pivotal moments. What if?
Surely with my sizeable CD collection covering music from the best part of the 20th Century and into the 21st Century, there will be something my kids will like. Surely.
My brother (45) had this very fear realized when his first born son (17) looked at him quizzically and said, “Led Zeppelin? Why are they so fantastic? Stairway to Heaven is crap”. My brother, sister and I just gasped for air.
My nephew’s education was about to begin. My brother sat his son down and played him the classics. He even went so far as to ensure that my nephew learned to play some of the songs to connect with the music and gain a deeper sense of the brilliance that is Led Zeppelin. Day and night, night and day, they discussed, listened and played until it was all covered and covered again. The outcome?
“They’re alright I suppose”, my nephew now says.
It was a disappointment not to see the twinkle in my nephew’s eye when Page’s gut punching guitar riff and Plant’s haunting primal scream in “Immigrant Song” blasted out the stereo.
Yes of course my nephew, as well as my children, will have their own taste in music that perhaps I won’t understand – but I’d like to think I would. But I can imagine it would be a bitter pill to swallow if your children disregard the songs that shaped you and continue to shape you.
So what does my nephew listen to? Those old folky Greek songs in my parents record collection. Oh, they would be so proud.
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Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
An entertaining and well written post.
I'm afraid as your children grow up you will be in for a few surprises.
Well done and thoughtful
katyzzz
Comment by Mrs M
Mum's Word
Did you have any moments like my brother did with his son?
Love & stuff
Mrs M
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
All my children went out into the world very early in life, unfortunately.
All seem to have fared well.
One daughter likes Elvis Presley, just as my mother did.
My son plays 20 instruments amongst other things, but I wanted a different life for him.
Divorce brings many problems. Let's just say I have had to deal with the UNEXPECTED to a degree I just wish I hadn't had to.
You Greeks have many things right.
My children live overseas, my mother left her own family to come to Australia with my father and my older two brothers. Two of us were born here.
I think life plays cruel tricks, it has for me. But I still think life is a precious gift, worthy of embrace.
I had great dreams, great expectations, I haven't given up yet but I carry a burden of sorrow.
Other people interfered with my family and pulled down our family values, plus I guess my husband and I contributed to that happening.
I wish I'd had some moments like your brother had with his son.
But, it is a changed and changing world, not always for the better.
Too much information really but I like to give a reasonably truthful and direct answer when someone asks me a question
Silly me, perhaps.
katyzzz
Comment by Mrs M
Mum's Word
Not silly at all. Thank you for sharing so much. I'm sorry to hear that things haven't turned out as you had wanted them to. You seem like a genuinely nice and thoughtful person, aware of what is going on around you.
Thanks for visiting my blog katyzzz. I always look forward to your comments.
Love & stuff
Mrs M
Comment by JoshZ
My younger brother is into jazz in a huge way.
Some ofus quite enjoy raiding the folk's CD collection.
JZ
Comment by Hope
Gifted Parenting
Freelance For Life
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
*clapping* a music post...*smile*
Oh, my mother had a collection of music, all 33's, of Elvis, and all sorts of country, mostly Conway, Loretta, Patsy Cline...oh the joys...My father listened to only 50's music and still does. I grew up with great exposure to music. I love everything...almost.
My children all listen to various types of music, but we all listen together. I think that is the key to really having your child appreciate music of all kinds. You must expose them to it and make it fun...everyone should have a chance to get passionate about it, showing off their music and why they love it. I always try to find something good in my daughter's taste of music, which is mainly rap and pop. It's not my favorite. But we do love Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake together. Common ground. That's what it is all about.
My youngest daughter is a big grunge junkie like me, my youngest son loves silly songs, funny stuff and my oldest son loves country. Its wonderful when we go somewhere because you just never know what will be blaring from the radio!
*smile* Love the post!
Voices~
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
A great post...I loved all my mother's music... my father wasn't into it at all.. the interesting thing is that so many of the songs I loved in my mother's collection have been re-mixed and are now a part of my daughters' collections... and I love it when I take out the originals and play them for my girls they both curl their noses up in distate at how 'strange' they sounded *l-ing ol* makes me giggle too... having said that, there are two songs that they prefer the original and one is Swinging on a Star and the other is Spirit in The Sky... probably because the re-mix is just a trance-dance remix ... the kicker is... I prefer the re-mixed version *chuckle*
we all love classical stuff, luckily... except my Mum ... and nobody is really heavy on the metal...
Lilla...
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
Great post. My parents were big into the 50's and 60's music. And I do have a special fondness for some of that stuff. My mum also turned me on oldies like Billy Joel and Elton John.
One of my fondest memories is of my mother and I going through our vinyl collection in the early 90's, finding Culture Club's early 80's album, Colour By Numbers and dancing around the lounge room to Karma Chameleon.
Once I discovered my own taste in music, mum never minded what I listened to. My mum even took my sister and I to a few concerts in our early teens (she lined up at 4am with another friend to get us tickets to Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet tour....now that's going above and beyond for your children!).
With your vast cd collection, I'm sure you'll have something of interest for your kids. And hey, I'm sure they'll put you on to new music too!
KylieW
Comment by Mrs M
Mum's Word
JoshZ: Nice playlist there. I listen to that stuff but it's not because of my parents more because my brother and sister listened to that stuff. Suppose it doesn't really matter why - just as long as I do.
Hope: It's funny how it just seeps into your brain without you even realising it. Parents can be cunning.
Voices: I'm glad you liked this post and a mum and a music lover. And I think you are right about listening together. I'll start with some Beatles - surely Yellow Submarine will tickle their fancy
Come to think of it, I think I remember my dad singing Tom Jones' Delilah - I must have repressed it.
Lilla: I know exactly what you are talking about when it comes to remixes. I played "Dream On" by Aerosmith (used by Eminem) and "Edge of Seventeen" by Stevie Nicks (used by Destiny's Child) and again, he had no idea they were samples. And yes you are right, sometimes the newer versions are better than the old.
KylieW 1986-7 The time of Slippery When Wet. I was 13 and there was no such thing as too much Bon Jovi. Good on your mum for lining up for tickets and going to the concert. That's love. I'm also a lover of all things 80's. Trashy...perhaps but who cares - we have our vices. My husband is a big Billy Joel fan - but again influenced by his sister not his parents.
Thanks again everyone.
Love & stuff
Mrs M
Comment by AnthonyB
Yeah my Dad grew up with Skyhooks and the like. We've never really considered the generation gap, cause up until I was 12, we were much and the same person. He was quite disappointed when I turned to Death Metal though - although not a conventional headbanger, I loved my music hard, fast and angry. Now he hates that I make him listen to Alternative and rock. He's happy in his own world of Bono, Bono... and... il Divo? Strange.. hmm...
Comment by Johanna
PCOS Mum
I really enjoyed this post. I did listen to my parents records, but not through choice. Besides a sizeable record collection which spanned Kenny Rogers, Bread and Abba, my Dad had lots of compilation tapes that we listend to when we were driving. These contained some artists that I still relate to, like Cold Chisel, The Eagles and The Doors.
Comment by MelissaA
Fun Facts
Sop I figure, working on the smae premise, that if I play my stuff enough, my kids will like it or at least some of it for a long time too.
They love singing along to Crowded House, Hoodoo Gurus, INXS (mind you they just like the idea of falling down a mountain to end up kissing dirt - kids! ) and many others. heck, they'll listen to anything at the moment - they just love music! Every now and again I'll even put on an old classical track for them and they love it!
Comment by Mrs M
Mum's Word
Johanna: Were you happy to listen to those tapes when you were in the car or were you secretly hoping to tape would get chewed?
MelissaA: I think you've got the right idea. Just have the music on, regardless. Your comment about INXS is funny.
I've played my kids Yellow Submarine yesterday which they loved. My husbands reaction "Of all the Beatles songs to choose...." I think he has issues with this song from his childhood. Ah well, you can't win them all.
Thanks for all your comments and thanks for visiting.
Love & stuff
Mrs M