The Musical Homestead

Jolly · #1 09/08/12, 05:23 PM

My wife's family is very musical and luckily my kids have inherited some talent. I enjoy listening to my wife and kids playing and singing together.

Seems like it makes the day go down easier, if the kids pull out their guitars and sing a few old standards or if the wife plays a few gospel tunes on the piano.

Alas, I can't play a radio without static and my singing voice could scare off large predators.

Is there music on your homestead?

Goat Servant · #2 09/08/12, 06:35 PM

You are blessed in that your kids pull out their gittars & play.

Around here its a few CDs blasting out of the truck while we're working, ranging from Jeff & Maria Muldaur either together during thier Jim Kweskin Jug Band days or Paul Butterfield then seperated doing more recent. Then theres John Mayall, Susan Tedeshchi & too many others to list.
But you want to know who plays their own, right?
Having a voice that could scare off predators isnt such a bad thing.

Waiting Falcon · #3 09/08/12, 06:35 PM

Couldn't live without it. I play the piano and sing.

But I hear you on the radio static..........

Raven12 · #4 09/09/12, 09:22 AM

I started playing the banjo. When I get good enough I want to have a couple people over and do jam nights. There is an area that I want to move to that has a big music scene too.

Big Dave · #5 09/09/12, 09:49 AM

Like you I can't sing but I play amean kazoo. Listen to Pandora all the time. Does that count as music?

Truckinguy · #6 09/09/12, 12:49 PM

My parents are not able to do so now due to getting older but my Dad played the piano, guitar, violin and trumpet, my Mom played piano and taught piano, I play (not much for a while now) piano, guitar and electric organ, Sister1 plays guitar and piano, Sister2, guitar and piano, Bother1 played stand up base, Brother2 doesn't play anything, Sister3 plays guitar and piano, Sister4 plays piano and Sister5 doesn't play anything. Our extended family and most of our friends are very musical and while growing up we couldn't get together without a couple people pulling out a guitar or two, someone sitting down at the piano and we all belted out country and old gospel songs until the wee hours. As we grew up and everyone started spreading out those get togethers became less and less frequent and now they rarely happen. We had a couple of friends who could play honkytonk piano tunes, they used to wrap tin foil around the bar inside the piano to give it that tinny sound. We had some awesome times!

One of my most treasured memories from my childhood was, after I went to bed, my Dad would sit down at the piano in the evening and play and sing old gospel tunes and hymns. He would go off tune occasionally and mess up a chord here and there but hearing him from down the hallway made the house feel like home and still makes my heart hurt when I remember. To this day, Danny Boy and The Old Rugged Cross still bring a tear to my eye when I hear them. My Parent's are still with us but due mostly to age can't really play much anymore but they love to hear us pull out the guitars on the rare occasion that it happens.

Sorry, the subject of music just brings back a lot of memories...

FarmboyBill · #7 09/09/12, 01:24 PM

I am setting here with a piano at my elbow, a zyalaphone I just gave to my GS, a guitar leaning against the piano corner, an accordian in the attic along with another guitar. I never play a note here.
I play accompanyment for my church, and that seems to be enough.

Alice In TX/MO · #8 09/09/12, 02:09 PM

I play "The Sound of Music" for my dairy goats in the milk house. There's a book called "Blessed are the Cheesemakers" and the dairy owners hire pregnant unwed vegetarian milkmaids. They are required to sing the score from "The Sound of Music" when they milk. I've been playing it to them for five years.

chewie · #9 09/09/12, 02:36 PM

I used to play flute, did very well, but just don't anymore. my hubs can sing, play harmonica, trumpet, french horn.

my oldest dd taught herself guitar via youtube, then taught her sister base doing youtube as well. she took a few piano lessons many years ago but wouldn't keep up the lessons so I quit and sold the piano. she was pretty mad for days. then would sneak off anywhere she could to play piano?!! and now has taken to it so much she saved and paid half for a new electic piano! and boy can she play!

both kids joined band in 5th grade, but quit a couple years ago due to a very poor teacher. that teacher is gone now and youngest has taken band again and is enjoying it. both did/do clarinet.

there are days they play for hours. one day my oldest and I were home alone, and I worked in the studio for at least 6 hours, and she was playing the whole time. we'd meet in the kitchen for a quick snack or drink, then back we went. it was a great day!

Raven12 · #10 09/09/12, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewie

there are days they play for hours. one day my oldest and I were home alone, and I worked in the studio for at least 6 hours, and she was playing the whole time. we'd meet in the kitchen for a quick snack or drink, then back we went. it was a great day!

I miss that. A lot.

Kelly · #11 09/09/12, 03:20 PM

My husband recently started learning how to play the banjo and I accompany him on the guitar. Hoping to get the grandchildren interested in playing in our "band" (for lack of a better word!).

"Force" the rest of the family to join in during the holidays (give them spoons to play, tambourines, bells, etc). I don't know about them, but my husband and I sure enjoy it!

I'll try and include a youtube clip of us last year (xmas time). Don't worry, I won't feel bad if you don't finish watching!!

GeorgiaGirl · #12 09/09/12, 03:44 PM

I play the piano (pianist for my church) and I play the dulcimer...just a little. I love the dulcimer and wish I would take more time to practice so I could play it better. Really, I wish I played all the instruments. Music......is love....in search of a word.

L.A. · #13 09/09/12, 07:29 PM

Guitar here,

Many years

Old John · #14 09/10/12, 07:21 AM

Yep, Guitar and harmonica, here, too. I can even play both at the same time.
I can sing lead, or harmonies, very well also, if someone else can carry the Lead.
I played many years in a group at Church, and a few years, in the early '80's in a group, professionally. That was back when the Ground Round restaurants were popular and had music.

I still get together with a few old friends once in awhile for a Singing Jam, doing Folk & Bluegrass music. I play & sing here at the house & DSW joins in sometimes. Music is fun. It makes Folks feel good.

hippygirl · #15 09/10/12, 08:18 AM

DH and I both play guitar and I plink around on the piano a bit. His brothers (and their sons) play guitar as well, but I'm the only one in my family that plays anything.

I sing lead pretty well, but not harmony (no matter how hard I try, I tend to follow the dominant voice). It's weird...the harmonics are perfectly clear in my head, but when I open my mouth, out comes the lead. Go figure.

trulytricia · #16 09/10/12, 08:38 AM

We live right behind a piano teacher and one granddaughter has been taking lessons.

When I'm alone I follow along in the books to learn myself, never had a lesson.It's fun even if all I can really do is just practice. One thing about old brain versus young, it only takes me about a hundred more times to learn something new haha.