I was thinking today about the meaning of music in my life, and the joy it has and continues to bring. I dont think a day goes by that I dont listen to music. I bring my iPod with me everywhere, work, vacation, walks etc...
My earliest memories of music are of my parents record collection, my mom was a big Elvis fan, and they had a lot of music, Sinatra, Tom Jones etc...We had music at the house, and it was played often. My love of music started with my dad, he played guitar and used to always play for me and my sister. My dad started me on guitar, taught me chords, notes etc...and then asked if I wanted lessons. What a valuable gift he gave me. I started guitar lessons at 8, and continued until about 15.
My neighbor (who played drums) got me into rock music, as his sisters record collection was full of the 60's and 70's rock (I was born in 66, so this was probably b/t 74-76). We listened to the Beatles, Chicago, Seals & Crofts, Led Zeppelin, she had so much music that we listened constantly.
My first love was KISS (76) - Destroyer. That developed into Zeppelin, Sabbath, Rush, Aerosmith - 70's hard rock acts for the most part. I began playing with other musicians, ended up playing in bands, and played live for about 10 years (mid 80's to mid 90's). I still jam with friends, but the bar scene is not my thing, but I still love to play. I began writing music, and that has become my biggest music hobby (outside of listening and collecting).
Anyway - it just hit me that as much as I love the Prog rock we all discuss here so often, it really comes down to what appeals to me as great music or songs. George Harrison's solo material gives me a happy vibe, if I am in a bad mood, I put on some George and it seems to work. I admit that radio (not that I listen anymore) has killed much of the 70's hard rock that I loved, I still enjoy hearing the soaring vocals and guitar work of Boston, or the crunch of Zeppelin when the mood hits. Then some Metal (mostly Maiden) along 70's pop also has a soft spot. All that music has stayed with me and is special, all those bands and artists created magic!!! Genesis, Floyd, Crimson, Yes, GG, HTM, Camel came after, and progressive music has been the biggest form of enjoyment and discovery. I remember hearing GG in college (late 80's) and let me tell you, it was difficult to find their records, so I went to many record colletcion shows. These bands led to more obscure Prog (although I cant touch most of you in terms of knowledge) and I continue to search for new music. Finding new bands (Porcupine Tree) and discovering old ones like Zappa (I love his 70's output) has been incredible. NEARFest provided huge moments and new bands (Miriodir, Birdsongs), and I was lucky enough to attend a number of NF's over the years, only missing a few. Probably some of the coolest moments in my concert experiences, seeing Mike Keneally, UK, HTM, Porcupine Tree, Steve Hackett, Camel - amazing memories!
I just felt like jotting down my feelings on the subject this evening, for no particular reason other than music has been a lifelong companion, and I am sure it will always be a part of my life. I feel fortunate that it has played such a major role, it is hard to understand how some people can just put on a radio station and listen to whatever is playing, having no real passion for music just does not register with me. So from Prog, to Jazz, Classical, pop - the journey continues, and what a ride it has been so far!
Bookmarks