In The Family Genes?

[MikeZito]

Curiosity.

I constantly read stories about players who come from musical families, (i.e., mom played the piano, dad played the fiddle, uncle Frank played the guitar, so there was always music in the house, etc.).

I have had a great love for music for as long as I can remember, but almost nobody in my family was a player. My grandfathers brother supposedly played trombone in some orchestra in Italy, but I never met him - and I have a younger 2nd cousin who plays guitar, but aside from that, we are a very non-musical family. Come to think of it, as a young kid I didn't even have any friends or neighbors who played music or came from musical families. Kind of makes me wonder where my passion for writing and playing came from?

What is your musical or non-musical family background - and if you are from a non-musical background, do you remember what inspired you to start playing?

[foldedpath]

My Mom and Dad didn't play instruments, but they liked singing in the church choir, and I ended up in the church Boy's Choir for a few years. I was even one of the two soloists, before my voice changed.

In addition to that, my Grandma was a piano teacher, so there was a piano in the house and my sister and I were force-fed piano for 6 six years when we were kids. My parents at least had the good sense to hire other piano teachers than my Grandma, I think because they knew we both hated being forced to take lessons and they didn't want that transferred within the family.

By the time I was a pre-teen, all I wanted to do was play drums... first Jazz (I was a huge Dave Brubeck Quartet fan), and then rock (interest immediately transferred to Ginger Baker with Cream). I finally harassed my parents enough to get me a plastic snare drum. Then a real one. Then a full kit, and finally a really nice set of Ludwigs I played in rehearsals for Rock bands in my parent's garage.

It's all been downhill from there... moving later into guitar because it was more portable than a drum kit, then electric Blues guitar, finally ending up in this rabbit hole of Irish/Scottish music on (in order) guitar, then mandolin, then flute. Sometimes I wonder what life would have been like if I'd remained a drummer for life.

Anyway, I hated the piano lessons as a kid, but they were probably formative in some respect. The Boy's Choir might have been an early start on memorizing music for public performance. I've also never had stage fright, so maybe an early start as a choir soloist helped.

I'm stubborn and individualist enough to think that I would have been a decent amateur musician without that early start in the family, but it probably didn't hurt!

[Jill McAuley]

My dad played the ukulele and had a wonderful old Martin baritone uke and one of my uncles played the guitar. Another uncle didn't play anything but LOVED music, and my gran was a big singer, always singing down the pub or at parties at home - she knew the Dubliners well when they were starting off. Music was definitely around the house and always playing. Pair that with the family being supportive when a 9 year old girl decides she wants to play drums and the electric guitar and it created an environment that fostered musical development.

[Roger Adams]

My brother and I learned guitar from my Dad, who played guitar and sang in an old country band, as well as church on Sunday. (Equal time, I guess! ). He also had an old tater bug that he played "Kentucky" on. When I took up the mandolin, "Kentucky" was the first tune I played.

[DHopkins]

My mother played organ and piano in church. She had a wonderful alto voice. She's the one who taught me the ins and outs of harmony. My dad only played guitar but he was pretty good. Back in the 30s and early 40s (before and after he worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps), he used to play barn dances back in the Arkansas Ozark Mountains. He loved Jimmie Rodgers and the Chuck Wagon Gang. I still have his old Slingerland Songbird guitar).

At one time or another, I sang in a barbershop quartet and a Southern gospel quartet and now I'm playing in a little country band (with the same guys for almost 10 years).

[MediumMando5722]

My dad has played mandolin most of his life, and guitar for almost as long. He's played in a slew of different bluegrass bands for the last 20 or 25 years.

[colorado_al]

I come from a musical family as well. My dad has played accordion, violin and piano since he was a kid. My brothers both play piano and guitar, one also mandolin. I think I'm a pretty decent musician, but they are all way better than me, so perhaps I didn't get all of the DNA that is required. My son, however, is a natural and plays mandolin, guitar, electric mandolin, violin, cello, piano, percussion, octave mandolin, dulcimer, xylophone & recorder. So maybe it was just a bit recessive in me? Not sure.

[Jim Garber]

Very little music in my family except the appreciation from our parents and encouragement for both me and my sister.

A mysterious great aunt on my mother's side who I remember vaguely had a Martin mandolin but no one could ever recall her playing it. My beloved aunt (not a blood relative) played ukulele in her youth and gave me one in my later teens.

That was about it. Both my sister and I were into music, she more the vocalist—was art of a Balkan singing group in Abuquerque in the 1970s/80s. We both played piano when we were young tho I was always more into it. Then guitar in my teens and played in a rock band in HS. Then mandolin and fiddle in my mid 20s. The rest is hysteria.

[JerseyPicker]

I do believe that a significant part of musical aptitude is genetic, which would explain why there are so many "musical families" out there. Another component may be lots of exposure to music in the younger formative years as a result of being in a musical family. That's not to say that those with these genetics and musical exposure don't need to put in the hard work and practice, but I think that their 'skill ceiling' is likely higher than those from non musical gene pools.

Myself, I am not from a musical family. But, my mother was always singing around the house when I was growing up, and I have all of these old church hymns knocking around in my head from Sundays, so there was at least a little musical influence. My great grandfather played mandolin, but no one who would remember anything about his playing is around anymore. All that remains is a broken off neck from his tater bug mandolin.

[yankees1]

My mother played organ and piano in church. She had a wonderful alto voice. She's the one who taught me the ins and outs of harmony. My dad only played guitar but he was pretty good. Back in the 30s and early 40s (before and after he worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps), he used to play barn dances back in the Arkansas Ozark Mountains. He loved Jimmie Rodgers and the Chuck Wagon Gang. I still have his old Slingerland Songbird guitar).

At one time or another, I sang in a barbershop quartet and a Southern gospel quartet and now I'm playing in a little country band (with the same guys for almost 10 years).

Well, my mother was a school teacher, taught vocal music in school and was a well known local piano player. She always wanted me to take an interest in music and with an instrument, but---------- I wanted to be like my dad who had been the local sports hero from years ago ! I had a disdain for music and anything of it which included watching Lawrence Welk with my mom ! Well, I did not have the sport genes in me but I tried hard ! Fast forward fifty years and I finally took up the fiddle and at almost 64 years young I took up the mandolin and practiced about two hours per day and I now am 71 years old and play in a band ! My mom never knew I finally came around to get into music and even write/direct musical plays at school where I taught ! I even watch old reruns of Lawrence Welk now ! I feel sad and sometimes down on myself for coming around to music so late in life and after my mom could see and hear me !

[JEStanek]

The grand nature or nurture debate in how much genetics play into behaviors and abilities. I rather doubt there are genes that make one a mandolinist or pianist. I feel that more of the musical inclination comes from a combination of immersion (nurture) and maybe some from genetics (general intelligence, curiosity, spatial reasoning, and dexterity) to a degree. I certainly wouldn't support a notion that breeding two fine musicians and having their offspring raised in isolation being an equally fine musician is not sound (genetic explanation of a behavior or trait).

Jamie

[Mark Wilson]

I think exposure is key for musical families. If there's music making in the house and at family gatherings it rubs off. By 6-7 you're dying to join in. By 15 you're pretty good from having played with others all your life. I'm guessing. None of that growing up in my house

[Roger Moss]

As far as I know, there was no particular musical background in my family except for my maternal grandmother, who played banjo.I was, though not raised by my family. I was introduced to making music at the age of twelve and received much encouragement to play as many different instruments. In jr high school I played trumpet, coronet, saxophone, and clarinet in the school band, and persued guitar and recorder on my own time. I also dabbled in piano but didn't persue it seriously. Eventually they all fell to the wayside except guitar, which I've played on and off evrr since. I didn't come around to mandolin until just a few years ago, totally by accident. I was just casting about on eBay looking for something interesting to do when I stumbled upon a special promotion for a solid wood mandolin to promote a new online store. It was a steal at $79 with free shipping, so I went for it. I still kick myself for letting that little beauty go. The rest is history.

[yankees1]

The grand nature or nurture debate in how much genetics play into behaviors and abilities. I rather doubt there are genes that make one a mandolinist or pianist. I feel that more of the musical inclination comes from a combination of immersion (nurture) and maybe some from genetics (general intelligence, curiosity, spatial reasoning, and dexterity) to a degree. I certainly wouldn't support a notion that breeding two fine musicians and having their offspring raised in isolation being an equally fine musician is not sound (genetic explanation of a behavior or trait). Nurture and genes do play a big part in my opinion but more important is self-motivation, desire and dedication.

Jamie

Nurture and genes do play a big part in my opinion but more important is self-motivation, desire and dedication.

[T.D.Nydn]

My father was a nuclear physicist,but was very musical his whole life,we come from a long line of mandolin players,,he played mandolin and violin and he auditioned in Carnegie Hall,,he also played jazz saxaphone in harlem,at a time he said you could walk in harlem at night perfectly safe,,my mother didn't know much about music,,my father would be playing classical violin in one room,and she'd be playing Alan Sherman records in the next room, while the rest of the house is playing mandolins and banjos,,,,

[farmerjones]

While nobody played music, I was always around a wide variety of music. My Mother was a frustrated artist that ended up teaching most of her life. Other than keeping the brush on the canvas, there's really no way to do it wrong, as far as painting. If one were to embrace the abstract initially and never respect a scale, I recon, one would be a lonely musician. Where when a painter bends to acceptance he/she is selling out. I am just enough of a social animal to not want to live without a bit of comfort, forsaking art in it's purest sense. So I too bent to "The Man." My Father was an entrepreneur. He eventually made it after I departed. In retrospect it was a fine thing to see and learn from contrasting views. So no fast track to Musical woopi-doop here.

[mandos&turtles]

Music seems to skip a generation in my family. Neither of my parents play, and of my 11 blood-related aunts and uncles only one plays an instrument. Some of them are serious music lovers though. But my Grandma sang opera; I play guitar, bass, and mando; one of my cousins has a degree in jazz guitar; my sister took voice, piano, and flute lessons, and was good at all three; several of my cousins play guitar, and a couple play bass and drums. Even though neither of my parents are musicians they've been very supportive of my musical development as were my elementary/middle school and high school orchestra conductors.

[Bertram Henze]

[QUOTE=MikeZito;1639471...if you are from a non-musical background, do you remember what inspired you to start playing?[/QUOTE]

My parents were both professional classical musicians, but I still needed inspiration apart from that. I got theoretical background about music, but it all tought me two things:
- to stay away from classical music (it's all so sinister and serious),
- to not chain music to financial income (they don't pay you to play what you like, but what they like).

It taught me a lot about happiness, that way.

[Br1ck]

Both my parents played some, but my dad never did when I was young. My mother played piano good enough she played at church as a fill in. They encouraged us to play in school bands, but it was small town limited opportunities. I took up guitar after high school and played bass in rock bands most of my life. When my daughters were old enough to play, my wife steered them into classical music. We live in an area with good teachers, and opportunity, and they got the best we could afford, and progressed rapidly because they are both talented.

We bought them good instruments too, far better than I had for sure. My daughter's cello was always worth more than my car. One went to Peabody, the other UCLA, and both are pros now. I think it is just a matter of supporting children in what they are good at, giving them the self esteem needed to get through life.

Some parents travel all over playing tennis tournaments and such, some support children's theater. We supported music. My four year old grandson is playing violin, so I guess it's being passed on in an even more dramatic fashion. He wasn't pushed, he asked for lessons and enjoys it. His dad is a computer chip designer, so I hope that rubs off too.

[lflngpicker]

I learned to play the guitar from my father, who played and sang from the age of nine. I, in turn, begged him to start me at the age of seven years (1962). Dad was a strong singer and a very stylish guitarist, who played his own lead breaks rhythmically within chords (being a solo artist). He inspired me to perform as well, eventually leading to songwriting and performing as an acoustic artist. Dad is still alive at 88 and is not able to perform, but he regularly picks up the guitar and sings a few for me when I visit. I owe my love and enjoyment of music to my father, whom I call "The Original Guitar Player". Having started in 1938, this is true enough to use it euphemistically for one of the oldest living guitarists.

[Steve Ostrander]

My dad wasn't really a player, but he loved music, and he sang and whistled when he was happy. He always had an old guitar, banjo or uke around the house. I played them more that he did, and he was fine with that. He never mastered any of them, and neither have I, but I have amused myself for countless hours with guitars and mandolins.

His sister played the uke and I inherited her 1950s Harmony. Her husband played sax in a Polka band. I had one uncle who was a jazz drummer, and my stepfather was also a jazz drummer. So I was exposed to a lot of different genres, and I like a lot of variety: Blues, rock, country, folk, BG, Tex-Mex, reggae....it's all good.

[JeffD]

So there I am, hip deep in my career, and playing mandolin as much as I could, and I got talking with my mom one day and discovered two things I never knew about her father, my grandfather, who I died when I just a toddler.

One: His chosen career was in the same field as mine.

Two: He played the mandolin. He played in a large mandolin orchestra in northern New Jersey, in the 20s. I had no idea.


Recently, my uncle, my mom's brother, sent me their father's old bowlback mandolin, which I now cherish and display proudly. I will get it all fixed up and make it sing again.

Kind of spooky actually.

[bratsche]

It was said that when I was a toddler, at church when the choir was singing, I would stand up on the pew between my parents and try to make eye contact with them and mimic the hand movements of the choir director (how embarrassing for them. LOL). I have no recollection of this, but everyone noticed I was fascinated by music from early in life. My parents didn't play any instruments. My dad had a decently okay singing voice, and had briefly taken saxophone lessons in his youth. Mother had pretty much a tin ear. The only music I was exposed to early on was a few Broadway musical records, which I enjoyed, and the Lawrence Welk show at the grandparents' houses. When I saw and heard the stringed instruments demonstrated in third grade at school, I asked and was disappointed that I'd have to wait until fourth grade to enroll in lessons, but I did so as soon as they let me. I filled out all the forms myself, and took them to my parents to sign, and asked them to rent me a violin. They were okay with that. That's how my journey started.

bratsche

[Randi Gormley]

I can't remember anybody in my mother's side of the family playing anything musical, now i come to think of it. but my mom and her father used to dance, so there was always that link to music (my mom, back in the 30s/40s was one of the few kids who had a charge account at the local record store). Her sister and brother-in-law were pretty non-musical, but my two female cousins play still -- the older (who's 62 now) took up classical guitar about 5 years ago and is pretty good; the younger (57) plays sax in a community band in San Francisco area.
My dad's family also seems, on looking back, pretty non-musical. My grandmother (his mother), I'm told, was a concert-quality pianist but she stopped playing when she got married. I have all her sheet music and the music cabinet she kept it in. My grandfather sang (badly) but didn't play an instrument and I don't think my aunt or any of her sons ever played anything. ... my dad, on the other hand, played stand-up bass for fun and sang in a community chorus and we always had music on in the house. And my parents danced a lot. My brother, sister and I all played instruments in the band up through high school. I kept on playing through college and whatnot; my brother picked up the guitar a couple decades ago and now occasionally plays blues at open mikes. I taught my sister to play the recorder and we'll play duets when we visit and we're trying to convince her to pick up her clarinet again and join a community band. OTOH, only one of my 3 kids will have anything to do with making music even though they started in school. Only my youngest, a percussionist, played through high school. She picked up the harp when she turned 16 and took harp lessons in college. Now she's graduated, she's saving up for a harp of her own. The other two play video games and their iPods.

[BrianWilliam]

It's not genes, it's practice.