"When I was your age..."

Music that our parents and grandparents listened to may sound “old fashioned” or “lame” to us now, but back then they were just as popular and fangirled over as the artists we have today. It’s always enlightening and interesting to talk to older folks about the music they listened to and discovering their opinions on the music we listen to today. I decided to interview my dad for this blog. I was really excited to see his answers to the questions. Here’s the interview!

 

 

Me: What kinds of music did you listen to? Did you have any favorite artists?

Daddy: Oh wow that’s hard. When I was young I listened to the music my parents listened to. My mom listened to Irish music, and my dad enjoyed kind of 50’s and 60’s Italian singers, Perry Como, Mario Lanza and things like that, and easy listening music in the 70’s. Then in the 70’s and all through college I listened to popular music and rock and roll, I enjoyed 80’s rock quite a bit. My favorite artists were the Eagles, Rolling Stones, Styx, Lynard Skynard, I liked everybody.

 

 

Me: Ok, what kind of music inspired you?

Daddy: Ahhh inspirational music! I would say, right now, the most inspirational music for me is jazz. I like to listen to Four Play, Larry Carlton, Al Di Meola, I enjoy that a lot.

 

 

Me: What do you think of contemporary popular music, like you might find on the radio? How do you react to your children’s choice of music?

Daddy: Oh my, that’s a good question. In general I feel that music today isn’t of the same quality as it was when I grew up. A lot of music now is vocally synthesized with auto-tuning and anybody can sing and sound good on the radio. It seems like talent and musicality are also lacking. The lyrics that are in today’s genres, I don’t find appealing at all. As far as my daughters choice in music, I’m thrilled that they love the classics and the same kind of music that I exposed them to. I enjoy that they love opera, and a little bit of Tokio Hotel every now and then. I’m generally very pleased with what my daughters listen to.

 

 

Me: How has your musical taste changed or evolved throughout your life?

Daddy: Ok well when I was younger, I liked a lot of party music, dance music, loud rockin’ type music. Now I’m much more into relaxed music, music that sounds beautiful and has artistic content. I think my tastes have matured.

 

 

Me: What technology did you have to listen to or make music?

Daddy: I started out with an AM-FM radio then records then obviously CDs. For making music, I don’t have any musical talent at all; I can barely snap my fingers to keep time. So that’s about it for me.

 

 

Me: Have you been exposed to music outside your own culture? How did that affect your own musical tastes?

Daddy: Music outside my own culture? One of the artists I really enjoy is Al Di Meola. He did a series of albums: “ World Sinfonia”, where he took different cultures from around the world and incorporated it into his music, so I have enjoyed a lot of different rhythms and styles of music from listening to him. Listening to that helped me to appreciate it. I don’t go out and buy a lot of music from foreign countries; it certainly broadened what I enjoy.

 

 

 

Me: Were there any songs that had special meaning to you?

 

Daddy: Yeah, when I was younger just about every song sounded like it was written for me. But probably the most important one is “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole. It is your mom and my “song”.

 

 

Me: What was your earliest childhood memory that involved music?

Daddy: The earliest childhood memory that involved music probably was going to Mass on Christmas.

 

 

Me: How long did popular trends last when you were younger?

 

Daddy: Popular trends for music lasted about 3-5 years, some longer, but generally 3-5.

 

 

Me: What did your parents listen to?

 

Daddy: My mom loved listening to Irish music, and my dad enjoyed Italian-American singers, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, people like that. I think my dad listened to some early rock and roll, my mom loved Elvis. After the 60’s, my dad’s taste changed to kind of easy-listening, doctor’s-waiting-room music because he worked in the hospital all the time.

 

 

Me: What sort of music did you learn in school?

 

Daddy: Oh boy. The only opportunity for me to do music was when I was in public school, as our Catholic school didn’t have much of a music program. But in public school I had the opportunity to play some band instruments; I tried my hand at playing the trumpet for about six months (it felt like six years) as I didn’t have the talent to make it work.

 

 

Me: What sort of concerts did you attend?

 

Daddy: Mainly the first music concerts I went to were in college. I heard Southern Rock bands like the Marshall Tucker and progressive rock bands like Genesis. I also went to some New Wave, not necessarily Punk, but New Wave in the early 80’s.

 

 

So that is my dad’s take on music when he was around our age. :)