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Friday, June 22, 2007

nature vs. nurture

Every Sunday, my Mom would put on ABBA and we would get down to housecleaning. I still can't hear ABBA without smelling Lemon Pledge. (dusting was my job.). I never liked ABBA, anyhow, and the older I got, the more painful this became. The advent of a walkman helped tremendously. As time went by, ABBA was still a frequent choice for her, along with Neil Diamond (just, eew) Celine Dion, and Kathie Lee Gifford. And, Barbara Streisand. I honestly cannot stand any of these people. She also went through a Bee Gee's faze. Seriously.
Dad, on the other hand, if he ever got to listen to what he liked, preferred 50's music, and old country. I can still hear him singing along to "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. My Mom would even chime in, trying to sing the girl part. Hilarious. He also played an old time piano record by a lady named JoAnn Castle. All this, I could tolerate.
So, how, then, did I get the strange, and eclectic taste in music that I have? I looooove music. All kinds of it. I can put my hands on anything. Classical, bagpipe music, some punk, some oldies, country, eighties, classic rock, heavy metal, jazz, R&B, you name it, I know it, and odds are, I have it somewhere in my collection. (Except RAP, and some of the thrasher metal that I just didn't get.). Soft Rock (my mother's particular brand) is excluded as well, of course. The day I own a Neil Diamond cd will be the day someone checks me into a psych hospital. Hitting random play on my computer is like playing russian routlette with music. Just now? I went from a live version of Rebel Yell, by Billy Idol, to "Bulbous Bouffant", a song from a Dr. Demento CD.
So, are music preferences built into our DNA? How do we find the music that really turns us on, and makes us happy? Does what our parents subject us to in our early youth influence the direction we are going to go in?
In my case,I think not. Instead, it was a constant search through radio stations, and, falling into some music traps that my friends set. The search for me is constant. Music is playing almost constantly in my house, and car, even while I sleep. Some people don't listen to music at all, (I am so sad for them), and some, if its on, will even turn it off. (Not in my house!). I love discovering something new, even if its old. (that does make sense, if you think about it.).
And, if I spend any time visiting at my parents house, my Ipod? Sure does come in handy. . .

3 comments:

CamiKaos said...

I think our musical taste is such a special part of what makes us each who we are, but i don't know if DNA comes into play.

Daddy used to play the doors all the time though. I love the doors. Always have. And he loves blues, good old gravelly blues. Mom loves Nat Kind Cole.

All that is in me.

In the years that have passed though I have found so many musical thrills that I can not hope to count them. You'll have to come over and see our play lists.

Music was a big part of the foundation of Mr. Kaos' and my relationship. It plays a big part in how we interact with K.

Maybe I hope there is something in the DNA, so I can hope that all the beautiful music that Mike and I love lives on in K.

mielikki said...

I hope so, too. It sounds like your introducing her to many of the greats. (I also love the Doors). Even with or without parental influence, I think we all find our way, musically, if we are supposed to. Whom I feel sorry for the most are the people who seldom, if ever, listen to anything. . .

sybil law said...

Okay - I loved the doors like nuts when I was in junior high and high school, but now I can barely stand to hear them (but Peace Frog still makes me happy). (And Jim Morrison is SO not a poet.) But God - the ABBA! Oh yuck! Haha that cracks me up! I'd still pick ABBA, though, over Celine Dion. GAG.
Yes - who knows why each of us likes what we do. My tastes run the gamut from a-z (icluding some great old rap), and Gilda shows the same sings of randomness. Good thing.