Music & Family

    I chose to interview both my Mom and my Dad because they both have had unique childhoods and thus have different outlooks on music. For some further context, my dad was raised in northern New Hampshire 35 miles from the Canadian border. His town was the largest in the area of 50 miles with a whopping 16,000 residents. My mother was born and raised in Southwest Germany in a small town not too far from the Black Forest region.

    I made a list of questions and interviewed both of my parents with the same set of questions to see how their answers differed. Below I will include the question along with answers from both my Mom and Dad.

Question 1: Do you have an earliest memory of music?

    My Mom recalled listening to the Sunday morning radio with her Mom and Brother. The radio stations my Oma (grandmother) likes are filled with German Folk music. These songs were important to my Oma because they let her know to get ready for the coming week.

    My Dad originally stated that it was a song by Kenny Rodgers when he was on the way to the orthodontist, but later changed it after being reminded by one of my Mom’s songs. His new answer was the song “The Unicorn” by the Irish Rovers which is a comedy song about Noah’s Arc. He did not disclose when or where he first heard the song.

Question 2: What was your favorite genre of music growing up? Specific artists/bands?

    My Mom was very adamant about liking popular music (Pop music) at the time. Her favorite singer was Mirelle Mathieu, and she even got a matching haircut. Some other artists she liked listening to were Madonna, Queen, David Bowie, David Idol, and Cindy Lauper. She also listened to her brothers' music from time to time. He was into songs from Kiss, Iron Maiden, and Metallica. She said that her favorite songs were ballads, rather than heavy metal. She also had a favorite artists who sang in German such as Nena and Peter Alexander. Many artists were from other countries, but when they came to Germany they sang in the German language. She also didn’t mind the folk music her mom listens to, one example of it is Patrona Bavariae by Naabtal Duo if you are interested in finding out what my Omas house sounds like. (WARNING: It sounds very Bavarian, and it will get stuck in your head).

    This question was very easy for my dad. Here is his response word for word: “80’s rock. Poison, Motley Crew, Guns n Roses, Def Leopard, Ozzy Osbourne, Heart, Journey, Aerosmith.” As for his favorite songs, he replied with a simple “Anything from Appetite Destruction by Guns n Roses, Everything from Blizzard of Oz by Ozzy Osbourne, the Trouper by Iron Maiden, and Back in Black by ACDC”. But above all, Weird Al was an inspiration and an immediate joy for my Dad. Even today, I listen to his music with him and even went to one of his concerts. 

Question 3: Where did you listen to music? On what technology?

    My mom mostly listened to the radio. Since she was closer to the city, there were more stations available to her. Another way she could listen to music was through a cassette player she and her brother received on one special Christmas that was part of a clock. The cassettes that came with the player were for mystery stories, some of which are still used in the family today!

    My dad listened to music in the car with his parents, usually on the way to the orthodontist. He could also listen to music on an 8-track tape or cassette. There were very few radio channels available, one of which was rock and roll which is where he found the majority of his favorite music at the time. The other channels were in French because he lived so close to Canada.

Question 4: What influenced how you found music?

    School influenced both my parents but in different ways. My dad was influenced by other students while my mom was influenced by teachers as well as the curriculum. My mom was able to visit operas, musicals, and the cinema because of her school. One of the live shows my Mom saw that was eye-opening for my mom was the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Question 5: Did your parents like your music? How did they feel about the music you listened to?

    My Oma did not mind my mom’s music. However, she couldn’t stand my uncle’s music. She called it “cat music” because of all the screeching instruments and yelling vocalists.

    My dad had a similar experience with his family. They didn’t mind the music itself; they just always told him to turn it down because it was too loud.

Question 6: Did your music taste change as you grew up?

    Both of my parents had the same answer. Their taste in music didn’t change, only expanded. They found new artists they enjoy, but they still love the music they listened to as a kid.

Question 7: How do you feel about current music?

    Once again, both of my parents had similar answers. They weren’t huge fans of certain aspects of current popular music, namely the increase of autotune.

Question 8: What is the purpose of music to you?

    My mom says that music’s purpose is relaxation. She enjoys the music but tunes out the lyrics. It is the melody that is important.

    For my Dad, the purpose of music is a distraction. He listens to it when he is concentrating on something else.

    Going back over the answers and typing them down, I realize how similar some of their answers are. It was also interesting to see how similar their answers were to mine, as well as how they differed.