Your parents... encouraged you? Or not?

[cwileyriser]

Whoa - going to the breaker box - that's hardcore!

Yeah, mine was a long one - I feel like I owe the TOMB a counseling fee or something!

[Jeremy Garber]

hah! I had just remembered something this morning. When I used to get grounded, my dad would take away my little TV, my radio, not allow me to talk on the phone or leave the house. All I had left was my acoustic guitar. So, despite the fact he was constantly telling me to stop playing music back then, he really gave me no choice! lol... I hadn't really thought of that before.

This past Sunday, when we were at my dad's for our family dinner, he was saying that we should get our kid into some music lessons. He said if we start now, no telling what he could become. Holy crap!! I couldn't believe my ears. Could my music have had this much of an effect on him over the years?

[kayagum]

I grew up playing classical piano, and I am forever grateful for it, but I think I had differing ideas from my parents about what role the piano playing has.

I think to my parents it was a case of "he'll be cultured" and "it will help get him into the right school". I don't think they thought about "he'll play in rock bands" (even though my dad basically forced me to take acoustic guitar lessons with him in high school) and "he'll have a recording studio in the basement" and "he'll do theater gigs in ugly black box theaters".

Like many other parents, they were worried I would become a starving artist, but I told them I would definitely not quit my day job (being a database guy)- how on earth will I pay for my gear without a salary? But I think their idea of art is more Orchestra Hall than 7th St Entry (in Twin Cities speak), so I stopped trying or worrying about them getting what I do.

In hindsight, that may have helped me get going. I certainly have my mentors and friends who support and confer with me, but I didn't get off the ground until I made this my gig, not my family's nor my neighborhood's "it takes a village" gig.

On one hand, I'm jealous of people who have supportive parents. On the other hand, I'm not jealous of people who need to seek approval and permission from parents or others to do every little step. My sister (who's a college professor) was telling me stories over the holidays about how she needed to tell her advisees to turn off the cell phone in her office, so that they actually have to make their own decisions about picking classes and majors (and not ask mommy and daddy).