My Music

I think our tastes in music are formed at an early age. I have heard many people say they were influenced by what music their parents preferred to listen to. My parents only listened to music on sundays or when we were in the car. Lawrence Welk was the preferred musical program. Polish, of course. Polish radio programs in the car on sundays. No matter, that none of us, besides my father, understood one of syllable of Polish. My mother was Armenian. No, we never heard any Armenian music. Hey she was just the wife and my mother. The music she liked was of little importance.

I can still remember the awe I experienced when in fifth grade we had a field trip to the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra in Veteran's Auditorium in Providence, R.I.. I had never heard live music before. I sat there amazed at the sounds of the wonderful orchestra. They played for maybe an hour. Musical pieces completely foreign to me. Instruments and the sounds that came from them enthralled me. My life was changed forever.I went home that day trying to understand what i saw and why I hadn't experienced that before. I knew I wanted more of it and to this day, the quest hasn't ended.

My parents bought a console stereo. It was a contemporary piece of furniture bought more for the furniture than the stereo. One of the first real stereo albums we bought was herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. I sat for hours, like the RCA dog, listening to the album,switching the stereo left and right to hear the different instruments. Amazing! Al Hirt, a trumpeter from New Orleans, was one of my favorites too.

As I grew up I tended to gravitate towards groups that had that orchestral sound. ELO, Queen, The Beatles, The Moody Blues. Groups that used strings, horns and orchestras in the background. I was hooked.

I remember the first musical play I ever saw. It was in college, freshman year, Edwards auditorium, URI. Fiddler on the Roof, a student production. I was blown away. The singing, acting, orchestra, and spectacle. I had that feeling once again from childhood. I would never be the same.

I, as a parent, did try to show my children how great music was. I think I succeeded. they both love music. Their musical choices are now somewhat different than mine but they know what I like and I think they like some of it too. I did take them to plays and musicals. I got to see that awe in their eyes and I know they were changed forever too.

Bottom line, Life is about being exposed to different experiences because everyone of them helps us grow as a person. Sharing them with someone is tough to beat.