Music and Family Blog

Hello, fellow human beings!             

        

(My mom and I)

    In today's blog, we shake it up a bit and had a nice phone call with the woman who birthed me and talked about music.

 But first a little overview of what's in store for your ears:

- My mother talking me when I was a baby (tots embarrassing) 

- My mom breaking out into songs when she can't remember the name

- Slight taps on my computer because I had to double record

- My mom drifting off into the abyss of our musical conversation

- My siblings interpreting my interview (gotta love em tho right?)

-My mom making weird noises to describe the music

-And finally, my mother dropping the F-bomb and me saying I gotta censor that (spoiler I don't because I don't know how lol)

*Also my mom mentions my mom drops names which are: Ayanna, Donnell, Zaria, Jerome. Those are my siblings. I just didn't want you guys to be completely lost. 

So yeah, the recording isn't perfect and it was a real struggle to get it where it is, but besides that, I really do hope you enjoy this interview, it was really fun and I hope it reflects that :) 

THE INTERVIEW LINK

Transcript of Interview:

Me: So, hello everyone, Classmates, Professor. I am here with my lovely mother...Michelle, I hope she doesn't mind me calling her by her first name. But um, thank you for joining me here tonight Mom, I really appreciate it.

Mom: (a little nervous) Oh...um.Yes, thank you for letting me be apart of all this.

Me: Alright so, I'm gonna open up the first question with, What kind of music did you listen to when you were growing... growing up?

Mom: Well, actually, um I grew up listening to, not knowing that I was listening to quote-on-quote white music. I was like a teenager when I was finally told I was supposed to be listening to black music, but I grew up listening to Kenny Rodgers, um Randy...Oh gosh...It'...oh a country singer, but he was like cross-over 

I thought um, Barbra Streisand is one of my favorite singers, um when I got my first CD player- bomb box, you know? I went out and bought Barbra Streisand and Tupac. Yes, and I killed them, and my...your big brother was like: "Ma, Barbra Streisand, and Tupac?" and you know what the most amazing thing happen? My Barbra Streisand CD disappeared and I know he did it! I know he did it!

 but yeah I um, would listen to hm, Billie Ocean, um Barry Manilow, Billy Joey was one of my favorite artists also, um when I became a teenager girl and was told to listen to black music, I listened to Bobby Brown um and other artists along those lines, but I've always enjoyed um...if it had a good rhyme to it, I found out that I love Jazz and I remember once, um your big brother asked me: "Yo, mo?" "Yes, son?" "Uh why you like Jazz?" and I thought about it, you know I used to listen to Queen La, Queen Latifah. All her music had a Jazzy flow. Most of the music I listen to growing up had a Jazzy flow to it. So for me to cross-over to me enjoy Jazz...its just a natural evolution. I love classical, I love some classical. I had many times that, uh, Jerome and I would have Sunday brunch listing to classical music. The first time you got excited about music....huh?

Me: I was saying ah I love this, keep going!  

Mom: Oh ok, the first time you got excited about music you were like six months old. Jerome was holding you and there was some classical music playing and you were like -inaudible noises- and you clapped your hands. You were clapping your hands and excited about Jazz....uh Classical music. It was on the radio and he was holding you and you just squealed and clapped your hands, like oh look at this one, look at this one. You just loved it. You know? And you made your first song when you were six months old -her singing my first ever song- I mean I should have been more into music than I am because I've always loved music. um, I don't listen to it as much as I would like, but when you have a bad day you throw some music on. Oh! Don't remember the name of the artist, but it's a rock song but it's like: -her breaking into song- it's just... I...I...I just love music.

Me: Well, I love that, I love that a lot -not sure what I'm saying- So my next question is.. umm...What influenced your music taste? like was it friends? family? No one? the radio?

Mom: You know I have to be honest with you and I was thinking about this..it has to be my mom. Just like I notice that like I'll play music and this old 80's music and Donnel will be like: "Yeah!" and he'll be singing along-- "where you hear this music from?" he said "Ma, I heard it from you." I don't even remember him, really him playing that music around him..-a sibling interrupting my interview- So my mother she listened to country music. She listened to Kenny Rodgers and Dolly Parton and uh Andy Raether, um she used to listen to this channel called 104 and it played like, soft rock, so I would listen to Barry Manilow from her and then I swung off into my Billy Joe. 

Because Billy Joe had, you know...he had...um bad boy music...if you can and then he also had the blues music. -breaks into song- Loved it, um and then you have piano man, which is also that Jazzy flow. -guess what? breaks into song again- It's a beautiful song, it's descriptive, it sparks my imagination, um my grandmother liked Aretha Franklin. I couldn't swing with that. Aretha Franklin had that Fusion Jazz -more inaudible noises- a type of Jazz I've never been very good with that Jazz, but! I had one day that I was running...I was driving the car and driving real fast and had last of things to do and I was listening to Fusion Jazz on the radio and it sounded beautiful to me, why? My head was going -some more inaudible noises- So the music coincides with the racing of my mind and it calmed me and it actually sounded really good and it never sounded good since Cold Train. I love me some Cold Train. Um, I like instrumentals. I think that playing a nice instrumental in the background when you're having dinner, like a little dinner party. I always called it the instrumental music in the background is the background music for the words. So there are no words that play to interpret your conversation, but nice Jazz music in the background, not loud, playing nice and low. It just adds a beautiful computation to along with a beautiful meal, a glass of wine, some really delicious ice tea..yeah.

 

Me: That sounds so sweet. So the next question, the next of the next question, which I think...I'm not sure how you're gonna feel about it but...

Mom: Woo boy...

Me: What do you think of my generation's music?

Mom: So listen, I just to love me some Rick Ross, you know, TI. I would listen to rap, I was enjoying rap, then they started to come out with this mumble rap, they lost me...I um...I guess I like music that has a nice flow to it and um I never really pay attention to the words of a lot of the songs that I sang along to, I never...I sang the words, but I didn't listen. Um, as I got older I started listening to like old songs I use to like and then...Now that I'm older I understand their using these words for this and for that. I'm like I don't think I don't think I like the words anymore and with mumble rap um, yeah...I liked it..it's just the mumble rap I don't know what they're talking about and then when I do listen to what they're talking about it's so fervent -proceeds to break into song and drop the F-bomb- ...

Me: I'm gonna have to censor that out. (but we all know I don't)

Mom: Oh, sorry. Maybe they should be mumbling, I don't wanna hear that...even...I love slow Jams and um even some of those um have gotten a little...not so enjoyable for me. I guess it's the sign of the time changing. I know when uh my mom use to .." why is all that swearing in the music?" and you know...Foxy Brown...grew up listening to her, you know and she swore up...at first, it made sense, then at one point and time and like swearing for no reason. Just say it, just to say it doesn't work for me. And then my husband whose younger than me he doesn't like rap. He likes smooth R&B and then he likes more buckshot, like more... words...and not such melody type of rap. I enjoyed my roots and all those other updated rap music back in my time, but um that had a flow that was cool, that I could rock with, you know. I enjoyed LL....yeah...those are all old now and I guess I am too. 

Me: Mom, you're not old your...you aged finely.

Mom: I appreciate that. 

Me: So I know that when you were like my age you use to play the Clarinet, Piano, so do you miss being in that musical journey of yours? as a musician?

Mom: I do, um there wasn't anything more relaxing then um...I played the Clarient, but I also played the bass Clarient, such a beautiful sound. Kind of like how you enjoy your viola with the rich sound. The bass clarinet was um...had a better sound than a Saxophone. The Saxophone was pretty nice. The Bass Clarient is bigger than a saxophone and I use to um sit at night and whatever songs I knew off the radio I would play it. And it was just so beautiful. Yeah, I miss playing instruments. 

Me: Well, My last question for the night mom is what do you think makes music beautiful?

Mom: Oh wow, that's a darn good question, wow...so you know... I think and I think most people would probably say this but I think what makes music beautiful is that it speaks to everyone, it's a universal language. you know, if you're feeling good it can make you feel better, it speaks in so many different tones and you know like when I would go to your concerts at school I could visualize all kinds of things...like a ballet dance from the music, you know, it'll take you there. A scent, a smell that can take you back to your childhood. Music just...it's universal. There's always a song for how you feel...yeah...It's like a warm toasty blanket on a cold night. 

Me: I like that, well I greatly appreciate your mom for helping me out with some homework. 

Mom: I apparate you, I mean so bless to have you, I'm aware. I am very blessed with my children, my husband. I'm so proud, so happy, and blessed with you. You're very special to me.

Me: Mom, you can't make me get all gushy on my interview for school.

-some noises that happened and not sure how to type it out-

Me: So guys, this is my mom and this was a tasting musical adventure, and today's tasting adventure we stopped off at my mom's. So, thank you mom, thank you, Professor, thank you, classmates. Peace out everyone :)

Mom: Peace!