My introduction to music came early. After all, it surrounded me throughout my childhood, playing constantly as an accompaniment to family life. Me and my brothers were allowed to select our very first album to buy in a store. My oldest brother wisely chose The Jackson Five's "ABC", which was a favorite cartoon of ours. It was also one of our first important decisions together as a group.
Our exposure to classical music was also through cartoons, like the opera "Barber of Seville", in a version for kids that starred Bugs and Elmer Fudd. Besides the t.v., we had one of those big furniture consoles that had a radio, cassette player, and turntable, in the dining room adjacent to the living room, which was almost always in rotation. I had a little plastic 45 player of my own in my bedroom. I remember quite clearly playing The Knacks 45 "My Sherona" over and over, downstairs in the t.v. room.
I inherited my first stereo from an older cousin when he outgrew it, which played 8-track tapes. He also tossed in some tapes he didn't want anymore, like Cheap Tricks' "Live at Budokhan." When the Walkman came out, I was entranced. I was, and still am, an early morning riser.
While I waited for the rest of the household to wake up, I would spend hours in bed with my headphones on, listening to favorite cassette tapes and scanning the dial of the radio. I used to hide in my closet to listen to Dr. Ruth give out sex advice. Though I barely understood most of the talk, I realized it was above my current stage of development, which made it all the more fascinating for its glimpse into adult life.
While I waited for the rest of the household to wake up, I would spend hours in bed with my headphones on, listening to favorite cassette tapes and scanning the dial of the radio. I used to hide in my closet to listen to Dr. Ruth give out sex advice. Though I barely understood most of the talk, I realized it was above my current stage of development, which made it all the more fascinating for its glimpse into adult life.
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| My 1st dance recital, to the Star Wars soundtrack! |
Music was folded in my daily life in other ways, too. Growing up, I was a dancer-in-training. I was taken to jazz classes around 3 years old, and then I continued with classical ballet until 13. I learned that choreography is the art of matching movement to music. The two art forms accompany and complement each other in perfect harmony. Or, if you do modern dance, discord.
Dancing was a large part of the entire household. My parents were part of the disco craze of the 70s, dressing up in glamorous evening outfits to hit the town. My aunties taught us all the old standards in our living room, like The Mashed Potato, The Jerk, and The Twist, while records played in the background. Me and my best friend in elementary school loved to rollerskate in the garage to "Blondie", skate rinks also being a huge craze back in the day.
Dancing was a large part of the entire household. My parents were part of the disco craze of the 70s, dressing up in glamorous evening outfits to hit the town. My aunties taught us all the old standards in our living room, like The Mashed Potato, The Jerk, and The Twist, while records played in the background. Me and my best friend in elementary school loved to rollerskate in the garage to "Blondie", skate rinks also being a huge craze back in the day.
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| Waiting in the auditorium hallway, before hitting the stage. |
Later on, one of my brothers picked up the guitar, teaching himself by ear off of his most coveted albums. More unfortunate was his near-constant and daily repetition of Led Zeppelin tracks to learn certain riffs. It has taken me years to fold some of their songs back into my listening repertoire. We became experts at dropping the needle to the record at certain key points in a song.
I was also exposed to a lot of what I call "boy's music": hard metal from the likes of AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, and Judas Priest. My siblings and I bonded over a shared love of the Stones, which continues unabated to this day. Later on in high school, I made day trips to New York City to get prized possessions like the first U2 vinyl imported to the US, for their "Gloria" single. I had heard them on a Long Island radio station, WLIR, which was famous for playing punk and new wave.
I was also exposed to a lot of what I call "boy's music": hard metal from the likes of AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, and Judas Priest. My siblings and I bonded over a shared love of the Stones, which continues unabated to this day. Later on in high school, I made day trips to New York City to get prized possessions like the first U2 vinyl imported to the US, for their "Gloria" single. I had heard them on a Long Island radio station, WLIR, which was famous for playing punk and new wave.
I could write about this topic all day long, but for now, I'll leave you with those two favorite cartoon themes as a primer. Part II coming soon to a blog post near you!
Wishing you many musical moments on this Wednesday.
