Music and Family

I wanted to look at the musical experiences of a family member, specifically my mother. She gave birth to me when she was 17 in 1997 and so we both kind of went through the popular trends of music together as I grew up. I think we can relate better because of how close in age we are to each other. I really just wanted to know here taste in music before she had me and my brothers and here are her responses to my questions that I really wanted to know.

What kind of music did you grow up with? What did it mean to you and the people around you?

I was born in 1980 so I grew up with the 80s style of country music. Some of my favorite artists were George Jones, Kenny Rogers, and Hank Williams Jr. Momma (talking about my grandmother) hated Hank Williams Jr. though because he was a big rebel from the regular country that she liked, for example, the Oak Ridge Boys. Momma always made me listen to them anytime we were in the car because she controlled it, but when I would get home Hank Williams Jr. is what I played at full volume.

Then the 90s came and my music taste really changed to things like Rappers and Hip Hop. I like old school Rap like Tupac and Dr. Dre and all the talk about women and drugs drove momma insane (she was a police officer by the way). I would sneak out and go to a friend's house and listen to Tupac or The Backstreet Boys while we played Super Mario 64. Momma still says that music is what got me pregnant with you, but truth be told it was actually Garth Brooks(my grandmother's favorite artist) in which you were conceived(TMI). Momma laughs about it now because she got you three (my brothers and I), but she still cannot stand to hear Tupac.

How has your relationship with music changed over the course of your life?

I would not say it has changed much from when I was younger. There are a few new artists that I like, but country music has always been my favorite and I prefer older Rap compared to the mumble rappers your brothers listen to. I guess I kind of sound like momma a little bit because I really think the newer music can be dumb sometimes and does not sound as good as the music I listened to back when I was a kid. I definitely would not say I hate all the music of today like momma though. I like to think I helped you guys find the music that is for you and makes you feel good like it did and still does for me. Just don't play the mumble rap when I'm around because I don't like the boys' (my brothers) music. If I am listening to rap its has to be someone like Tupac or Eminem.

This is where I cut her off before she got upset about the rappers, but I really enjoyed hearing her talk about things she liked and didn't like. I have always loved hearing stories from my mom or grandma about life before I had memories. Before I got off the phone with her she asked me to share a story about my music history that she has told me a million times. I was a very restless baby and if I saw someone I would get fussy until they came to see me, but my mom would need to clean and she could not do that with me getting fussy. Her solution would be to turn on three specific artists: Conway Twitty, Metallica, and Tupac. I would then just sit there until she was done cleaning or doing what she needed to. If she tried a different artist it wouldn't work and she knew I would like any kind of music as long as it was good. When we are in the car to this day, she will say, "Play some music Jack (referencing Jack of all Trades)." She knows that I would never pick music that anybody hated because I know my family's tastes and I dip my toe in all genres.

So thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed my family rants.