Music In My Family

 

In my family, my dad is the one of the most influential people on my taste in music. I remember dad driving my sister and I to soccer practice/games when I was younger. there was no telling what music would be playing because he listened to so many genres. I do remember when he would play rock or rap really loud and I would be in the backseat asking him to change it or cut it off, because most morning it was just too much that early. . He usually would, but if he hadn't been so completely different than my mom in his music taste, I don't think I would have ever been exposed to the different genres.

When coming up with questions to ask him, I asked the usual "did you play an instrument?" If so, did you like it or did your mom make you?" and some of this I had already known because he's talked about it before. And yes, he played piano and trumpet growing up as a kid. His mom made him learn piano because they had bought a really nice piano for the house and she wanted someone to play it, so she made him take lessons! But I really wondered, what is something interesting about my dad, that not many dads would confess to their adult daughter trying to navigate the world? 

1. The Next Bon Jovi

During our conversation, I had asked my dad why he never continued to play trumpet, or even piano because I rarely hear him play the keyboard in our garage? And he actually admitted that he did have a full ride on piano to Brevard College in North Carolina, but turned it down to play in his band! A FULL RIDE! I honestly didn't believe him because sometimes he likes to pull my leg, but after reassuring me that it was true, he explained that he was in a rock band that he thought was going to become the next Bon Jovi band. Now, hear me out, I only thought he was joking because all of my life, he has told me to graduate high school, go to college, and get a decent career.  Never once did I imagine my dad being in a rock band and traveling all over while playing covers of songs.

In the middle, the one holding a can of some beverage with the gorgeous har is my dad! The band was named "4th wish." His rock band mostly played songs of popular rock artists in the 80's such as Ozzy Osborne, Bon Jovi and Journey.  Thankfully, his piano lessons did pay off. He played keyboards for this group and they actually travelled all over the United States. they're shows were always sold out, and if you didn't get there three hours before the show started, you weren't getting in to see them. 

2. Jackyl

After learning about his very interesting gig as a keyboard player, I asked if he met any cool artists or new of anyone that became popular in the music industry. And though he didn't particularly answer the question, he did bring up that the guitar play in the above picture had this chance to join another band and he didn't do it. At first, I wasn't sure where he was headed with this story, but long story short, the band that asked this guitar player to join them was a band that was just starting out, but would soon become somewhat popular. My dad talked about, how both his band "4th Wish," and the there band "Jackyl," practiced at the same storage unit on Tuesday and Thursdays. One day, Jackyl must have realized they were there and invited 4th wish to listen to a song they had written. My dad said when they arrived at their unit they were practicing in, he noticed wood chips on the floor and a chainsaw next to it. Sketchy? Yea, he thought the same thing. But he stayed and listened to their song anyways because musicians support other musicians. 

This is the song that jeckyl had written. And after listening to it all the way through, it may be one of my top 10 favorite songs right now. However, if you can't listen to this song all the way through, skip to 1:30 and watch until the end of the solo. And you'll know what I am talking about by solo, but I am not going to spoil it because it is truly something I have not experienced in my life time, and I want you to be in awe of it just as I am! Plus, me having to include that chainsaw fact in the story will make sense afterwards!

3.  Michael W. Smith

While sitting on the couch searching YouTube for songs I thought would be fun to add in this blog, somehow dad and I got on the topic of christian music, and how I didn't really hear him listening to it a lot. And he looked at me and laughed and told me to search Michael W. Smith, "Friends" on the YouTube. Turns out, he does listen to christian music its just not in the same soft worshipping music that I am used to. Most of the time it is in the form of rock or an 70's version that I haven't listened to.

Then, I happened to stumble across it. Turns out this Michael W. Smith is also the singer of the version of WayMaker, one of my favorite songs that keeps me going through some impossible days. When I played it for my dad, he actually loved it. He was just as surprised as I was to find out that we both had some common interests in music because sometimes we can be so different. 

4. A Fun Story

Lastly, I wanted to include a funny story about my dad and grandmother. My grand mother passed away around the time my dad graduated high school, so I never knew her, but my dad says that I look so much like her. I do sometimes wonder what she was like so I asked him about what she thought of him playing keyboards to these rock covers, especially since I knew she was the piano player for her church. He told me a story about how in fact he was practicing organ with Dr. Kenneth Varner over at First Baptist Church  and one day he begged his mom to take him to lesson early so he could play before. Normally, his mom would sit in on the lesson and knit in the front row of the church while they played. So as, she was knitting, my dad decided he was going to make the organ as loud as he could possibly get it and played the opening of Ozzy Osborne's "Mr. Crowley."

" 

He said his mom's jaw dropped so quickly she was shocked! At that point, apparently, Dr. Varner had gotten to the lesson a bit early that day too, and started walking down the aisle. My dad said as he saw him, he started play Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor," or as every one else knows it as " Dracula's Theme." My dad said Dr. Varner didn't say anything to him about playing "Mr. Crowley," and that was probably because that teacher was just glad that his student went home and practiced something! But boy was my grandmother embrrassed!