Speaking of classical music, my parents were weird

[Rabrrrrrr]

This never occurred to me until just now, when someone in the Vivaldi/Dvorak thread mentioned listening to even more music with her child now that she's playing violin.

I started violin in fourth grade. Still play it.

But now that I think about it, we never had a classical album, nor ever watched any classical music on PBS, nor ever listened to public radio to hear classical music, until I bought my first classical album when I was in high school.

I was in high school before I saw my first classical concert.

My parents, God bless 'em, were farmer people who grew up in poverty in the country, and didn't know beans about classical music or the arts or literature.

We watched Lawrence Welk and Hee Haw.

They supported me playing, even bought me a violin in sixth grade. But I guess I lived in a world (and this applies in so many ways) that they didn't know anything about. I wouldn't be surprised if they were actually afraid of (or "cowed by") classical music, and so were afraid even to just go to the store and buy an album at random.

Kinda sad, really. Sad for me, sad for them, and a somewhat sad commenton the world of classical music that it does (or at least did back then) kind of advertise itself as the music of the intellectuals and "smart" people and kinda snooty, thus automatically ensuring that a huge swath of America would never bother to check it out, all while the classical music people stand around in their tuxes drinking chardonnay asking "Why are the audiences getting smaller?" But, I digress.

It's times like this - times I have questions about my childhood, or questions about them - that I wish they hadn't died so young.

I wonder why it was that way. I can only make conjectures, but will never be able to actually find out.

[radwriter0555]

1. I grew up listening to Nazi marching songs, Wagner style, courtesy of my

strange father... Every Sunday morning.

I can still sing them. Can't stand Wagner.

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Was your dad a Nazi, or just liked Wagner?

There is a difference, you know.

On Sunday mornings, eh?

That would be kinda odd.

[radwriter0555]

7. Well, I just don't know. I know that hitler liked the same tunes

is all... To hear the same music played at hitler's appearances and marches as I listened to every Sunday makes you go "hmmmm...."

It was very odd.

[xmas74]

2. I grew up with the Moody Blues

in my house. Every Sunday, dad would sit down, drink an Old Style, turn on the Packers and listen to The Moodies.

[ze_dscherman]

4. Something similar

I had to tinker on a piano, but we only had three or so classical albums. Although my mother was very musical and loved to sing, I did not grow up in a musical atmosphere.

Except religious songs at the local Jehovah's Witnesses congregation. These awful songs and their stupid lyrics will haunt me forever ...

[MuseRider]

5. Funny or odd

that is exactly the way it was for me. My parents produced two accomplished classical musicians. We did not have a stereo, only a little record player and that was reserved mostly for the rarely listened to Dean Martin, Kate Smith and an occasional Nat King Cole, my parents only music. They did encourage my music, I was a girl and it would give me something to do until I got married :eyes:. My brother, well it was allowed, but as soon as my Dad discovered that he was serious he started hauling his ass around trying to get him involved with Country music where real men played music :wtf:. Whatever, we both turned out to be quite able to use our music degrees. My brother ended up a well respected musician in Houston before his death. I just keep on with my symphony gig and love the fact that I could do that AND get married.

I also wish my parents were around so I could ask them why, or one of my brothers anyway. Maybe we could figure it out. Oh well, I am happy it is in my life.

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. Awesome story!

Reminds me of a story (apocryphal, but cool) about a kid who grows up with his dad taking him to symphony concerts and ballets and playing classical music for him and stuff. And when the kid turns 18 and goes off to college, he asks his dad about going to a concert, and Dad says, "Son, from now on you go alone."

And the kid asked "Why?"

And the dad said, "All those years I took you to those concerts and played you that music, I never liked it, and I never understood it. But I knew that in order for you to succeed in life and do better than your mom and I did, you needed to know it, love it, and understand it. Now you do/"

It was better the way I heard it, and I just quickly hammered out the gist of it here and so have obliterated all the beautiful nuances of the story, but I love that story.

[MuseRider]

9. Great story!

I love it. I think there are a lot of us out there who were not really exposed but became lovers of that kind of music. I have a very distant cousin who I have only met once who grew up in Gas, Kansas. God it could not be more than 300 people large, perhaps even less. They had zero music and he now sings Opera in Germany and has for years. He is good enough to have supported himself and a family that way.

I really do love your story, both the one above and the original post. Our parents gave us something wonderful that they did not even know would be wonderful. Isn't it funny how that works out sometimes?

[Misunderestimator]

6. My father always listened to classical music (though no one else in my ...

family), which is why I started playing piano and singing at five and
became a professional musician. Unfortunately, I was totally unaware
that classical music was a dinosaur that had just begun dying. Fewer
and few opera companies could survive during Reaganomics, and after
that horrid eight years, the lack of funding for education and
performance had pretty much killed it. I was able to eke out a living
from it for about 15 years until I finally gave up.

Sorry that your parents were never able to enjoy what you enjoyed.