Parent Music

When I was young, I guess around 11 or 12, I began to fight the status quo I found around me. Classic rebellion of youth I guess. Anything my parents were into and that I had also been into, became a target to remove with prejudice as Old People Bullshit. I wasn't a kid anymore. Of that I was sure.

Outwardly, I appeared to be that cool kid who was hip to all the other hip kid shit my hip buds were into. We thought we were so cool, I did not appreciate the fact until much later, we weren't cool, we were just fooling ourselves like every generation before us had; we were the hippest and coolest generation in our minds only. 

While I was busy trying to fit in by talking back, breaking hard and fast rules and packing that surly punk attitude, I had cut out of my life so many wonderful things my parents had made part of our lives. 

Parent music, one of the pleasures I used to enjoy so much, I dropped in the dust behind me as I hurried to grow up. And now, I am only just really appreciating the musical foundation my parents gave me by exposing me to the music of thier lives. Dad was into Classical, some Jazz. He thought the human voice just got in the way of good music. You can imagine what he thought of opera or musicals, one of my mom's favorites. I think she maybe forced the musical/ dance experience on me just to piss off my dad. They had that kind of relationship; one baits, the other would bite. They did it so much, I figured it was just part of their normal at home leisure time.

Now that I am on my retirement cruise, I have actively attempted to dredge up as much of my past as I can. I wanted to examine what turning point moments or mindsets brought me here; the seminal moments, the eureka moments, the deep despair moments. No, in the scheme of what's important maybe, looking back has little use in the here and now. I'm fuckin retired. Recalling my past surely beats sitting on the couch, sucking down Live Stream on Netflix.

I used to rock out to my mom's swing music and tunes from the musicals I watched on the Early Show on rainy afternoons. I also experienced classical music at home and in person. When my mom was not home, my father would blast Classical or Swing Jazz throughout the house. I think he did it more because he built many components found in every common room. The amps, the speakers he built were powerful and huge. He literally liked to feel the house shake. At age 9, I loved it. At age 73, I still love the house rattle but I do it quietly now. I use headphones and jack it up to WOW.

Actively looking for the music of my past now for well over a decade has taken me to places I remember, but more importantly places I have never been. It is only now I can say without a doubt in my mind, every genre of music has something for everyone. Japanese Metal, Swiss yodeling, and Mongolians beating on drums next to their camp on the Gobi Desert; there is something there that can entertain any one of us; if we take the time to look for it. I will admit I had to dig deeper into some genres than others to find tunes I could connect with. But they are there.

Which finally brings me to the point of this post; Mixing genres, Mashups, and covers. Not only has the collection of musical genres increased because they have finally been discovered, now the creative folks are mixing them together and creating sub genres that are a hoot to listen to.

Without any more words that don't matter, please enjoy this Swing cover of the Spice Girls tune, "Wannabe", as performed by Postmodern Jukebox.

Thanks Mom. Thanks Dad. You put music in my life.

Later ...............................

__________________________