Re: In The Family Genes?
My parents were both fine musicians, though my father played much less than my mother who played a large repertoire of fiddle tunes, folk songs, show tunes, and highbrow music, on piano. As a child, I often fell asleep at night, listening to music. One of my brothers has been a professional musician all his life, and the other two both spent periods as professionals, one still teaching music and performing on a semi-professional basis. Many of our children are musicians. Still, I struggle with music.
I've certainly seen evidence of music running in families. Ashley MacIsaac is an outstanding Cape Breton fiddler (though I can do without the punk stuff). Not only are many of his close relatives musicians of note, but an excellent Ottawa area fiddler, Alexis MacIsaac, told me she was his distant cousin. I recently heard that Ashley and Jack Black of the "White Stripes" are distant cousins. My mother feels that you could be a genius in music, art, mechanics, or whatever, but if your family and school system weren't inclined this way you might never know. Many people discover new talents when taking up hobbies in their old age. Still, for what my opinion's worth -- I'm no scientist -- I suspect there's a genetic component as well as a cultural one.
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
Bookmarks