As we have been flipping through our CDs and selecting CDs for our five disc player, I have been reflecting on the music that influenced me the most throughout my life. I thought I would share with you a similar series as I did on books that influenced me over the years. This week, we discuss how my musical interests have developed over the decades of my adult life. Have my interests changed or mellowed?
While I have influenced my daughters’ musical tastes, they have also influenced mine. They introduced me to quite a lot of new music, much of which didn’t stick, but there have been some things that added to my musical interests.
Relient K
Being a child of the 80s, when my daughters introduced me to Relient K, I was hooked by their songs about ThunderCats, Sadie Hawkins Dance, Mood Rings, and more. I enjoy their driving beats and mix of whimsical and serious lyrics. Statistics tend to show you get stuck in the music of your school years throughout your life, and that is mostly true for me. But I have to admit this new band struck a chord for me that I find a lot of fun.
Crooners
White Christmas is a favorite movie of my family and the more we watched it over the years the greater our interest in Big Bands and classic crooners grew. We started picking up CDs of famous crooners and listening to them more and more. Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, and more are often found belting out of my stereo speakers. I don’t even remember my grandparents listening to them, but I sure gained a passion for their music as my daughter’s interest grew in them as well. She will often slot in crooners in our Christmas mixes also.
More Broadway Musicals
Broadway Musicals are probably the most consistent music I have enjoyed since high school. For the longest time, I kept to the classic Broadway shows of the 80s and early 90s. Those were my favorites. But in recent years, my daughters encouraged us to check out Hamilton, Six, and Hadestown, and we loved them. We have seen Hamilton on stage and will be seeing Hadestown soon. So glad my daughters gained their own passion for Broadway then expanded ours with their interests.
I hope you have enjoyed this musical journey through my life and learned a little more about me. Would you like to share about your musical interludes?