Our parents have influenced us from the moment we were born. What foods we eat, where we shop, what we like, what we don’t like, and sometimes even our taste in music. Whether it be classic rock, grunge, alternative, rap, or Bachata, our parent’s know a thing or two about some good music.
Lauren:
My favorite part of growing up was riding in the car with my mother for whatever reason we needed to. I loved it because she called it our “music appreciation” time. She would put on classic rock stations, or folk stations or anything she felt my brothers and I needed to hear.
My favorite memories stem from belting out to Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” and the band’s “The Weight” or any other song that we felt like singing.
I realize now how appreciative I am of that time I spent with my mother driving because it influenced the artists that I listened to then, as well as the artists I listen to now. I would not have as nearly as strong of a love for Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett, Nancy and Ann Wilson, or countless other strong women who influenced the music scene and still do today if not for my mother’s influence.
My music taste definitely revolved around the music I grew up listening to and I am so glad my mom taught my brothers and I what truly classic music is and how important it is to have an eclectic taste in music and a well-rounded opinion about new music.
She would also take me to concerts to see the Foo Fighters, Echo and the Bunnymen with The Violent Femmes, and multiple other artists and we would make incredibly fun days out of those concerts and I would learn more about the artists that I grew up loving so much. There isn’t anything wrong with liking top 40 songs, but I do feel that those people are missing out on incredibly beautiful things by listening to older music and hearing the stories they all have to tell through their compositions.
Sorya:
My music taste ranges from screamo to country, to Spanish music to gangster rap, and everything in between. How did this happen you may ask? With the help of my family.
My father is a huge rap fan, and as you can see from the picture above, as was I. My grandma, on the other hand, preferred Spanish, which is what she forced me to listen to so that “I could learn Spanish”. In case you are wondering, no it does not work and it taught me nothing (except that I actually love Bachata, Reggaeton, and Banda). My mother was a huge listener of oldies, such as Brenton Wood, Al Green and Aaron Neville. Every Sunday, 9.85 played Sunday night oldies, which is what she made me listen to while we got ready for the week ahead of us. It is also what I listen to now whenever I am missing my mom and home a little extra. Lastly, country was a genre of music that took some time to grow on me. After fighting with my Stepdad for the AUX cord about a hundred times, however, eventually, I discovered my love for Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, and Jason Aldean.
When I look through my music library, I see different playlists for each and every type of music that I listen to. Not only do I love the variety but I also love the memories that I think of while listening to each one, whether those were long car rides to Disneyland, weddings, football tailgates, or even just a Saturday night in our backyard.
Ciara:
One of the memories that sticks out to me the most of my childhood was listening to music with my parents. The music that we listened to together influenced a lot of the music I listen to today. One of my first memories of music is having my dad give me cassette tapes that he listened too; the ones that I had were U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, and also Green Day (Green Day was my favorite band growing up). Green Day also taught me my first bad word, oops!
My Dad has always been into so many different genres of music from Bob Dylan to Nirvana. I remember when I was about 10 I bought my dad a whole album of all of Nirvana’s music. My mom, on the other hand, loved her 90s-grunge music but her favorite is definitely her 80s pop music. I listened to The Smiths, The Cure, Depeche Mode and so many other bands when I was with my mom. I still listen to all of that music today whenever I need a pick me up. I think the way I look at music and the ways it affects me was all because of my parents. Also, I am so glad my parents were never into country music! All of the music I listened to with them in my youth, I still listen to today. I love 90s-grunge music but I also love singing Bob Dylan with my dad and having a major dance party with my mom to her 80s pop songs as well. I think without having my parents there listening to awesome music, I wouldn’t even know the difference between an awful song and a great one. So thank you to my parents that showed me all of my favorite artists that I still listen to this very day.
Kayla:
“Your mama don’t dance and your daddy don’t Rock n’ Roll.” Well, this simply was the farthest thing from the truth in my household. My dad did in fact “Rock n’ Roll”, he actually had every album Led Zeppelin ever released including all of Robert Plant’s solo albums. Also, my mom loved to dance BUT not while she was listening to alternative, grunge, and 80s bands (well maybe the 80s bands, I mean she had pretty big hair). When I was little, two of the most up-and-coming artist were The Dave Matthews Band and Lenny Kravitz, who from a young age I grew an affinity for. My mom could probably tell you stories of me singing along in the car when I was two-years-old or about when I finally saw a picture of both of them and had a heart attack because I thought their faces should have switched.
My dad introduced me to Eric Clapton, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Pat Benatar, Led Zeppelin, and Steely Dan. I have always had a great appreciation for classic rock but my mom gave me her edge in music. She gave me a love of grunge and REAL alternative music. My mom showed me Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, every band that Chris Cornell was in, Depeche Mode, INXS, R.E.M., Garbage, Stone Temple Pilots, and so much more. When I was little I remember sitting in the living room with my parents while they talked about what they wanted to do to the house while listening to the album Aja by Steely Dan or Under the Table and Dreaming by The Dave Matthews Band. From their influences, I found bands on my own and over time grew my musical palette (because neither of them would listen to Tom Petty with me).
Not only am I a mix of both my parents but their music tastes as well, and let me tell you, those are some good genes.