My First College English Essay
Cultural Heritage / Explanation Essay
I remember well the veritable cornucopia of music I heard when I would walk by my sibling’s bedrooms in the big house where I grew up. My brother Rick would be listening to the Beetles, and the Rolling stones while playing along on his drums. My sister Lori would be playing her guitar and singing Bob Dylan’s classic song “The Times They Are A Changing”. I still remember all the lyrics to that song even today, Lisa the youngest of my sisters listened to Carol King, Simon and Garfunkel, Gordon lightfoot and many, many more. John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” would be drifting from my brother Jim’s room in the attic as he played his guitar and sang. The list would go on and on if I wrote about every music style and genre my five older brothers and four older sisters listened to or played and sang. My family’s love for music had a very profound effect on my life.
Steve who is my next oldest brother is a piano player and was blessed with a wonderful voice. He would sit at the piano and play songs by ear for hours. The unique thing about Steve is that he cannot read music, I would sit on the stairs near the piano and listen to him play and my heart would just leap inside of me. I learned more about my brother’s heart listening to him sing the songs he wrote, than I ever did having a conversation with him. One particular song he wrote, “Calm of the Night” is a beautiful love song, I close my eyes, and I can hear the passion in my brothers’ voice right now. “Walking alone under the moonlight / a desolate beachfront / no one in sight / I hear you call but it’s all in my mind / I want to be with you for all time / in the calm of the night”. Through his music Steve taught me that it was all right to be transparent with your feelings, I was so moved by his music. If he was singing about something sad, I would feel sad, just like when you lose someone you love. If he was singing something happy, I would feel as happy as if someone had given me a gift I had wanted for a long time. My brothers’ music was a gift, an invaluable gift. Steve is just one of my siblings who inspired in me the passion for music.
My sister Lisa would come home from work and the very first thing she would do was go to her room and turn on the stereo. For her, it was an escape from the stress of a hectic day at the shop. She would sit in her big tan fluffy rocking chair and rock as the sounds of Gordon Lightfoot filled her room. Music was just like therapy to my sister, it moved her, and captured her full attention. I believe it took her to a different place, a peaceful place. To my sister Lisa, listening to music was like slipping into a hot tub when all your muscles ache, soothing and relaxing. Another one of my siblings, Jim, used music for therapy.
My brother Jim would come home from work, go in his room and start playing his guitar and singing. He had a unique deep dirt road voice that lent itself well to the styles of music he chose to sing. There were several occasions when I couldn’t tell if it was Jim singing or a Gordon Lightfoot record playing up in his room. All of my siblings played guitar but Jim was by far the best guitarist of them all. He would sit and practice for hours. I learned so much about the discipline of practice observing his tenacious work ethic as he played guitar for hours on end.
I started playing guitar when I was ten years old. I played until my fingers bled, put band-aids on my fingers and played some more, spurred on by my desire to play like my older siblings. The passion for music that developed in me is almost inexplicable. I always have music playing, whether in my car or at home. I even prefer to listen to music over watching television. In the year 2003 I released my first CD, “Destination Known” I wrote all but one of the songs on it. I dedicated my CD in part to my family for instilling a love for music in me. I have played for audiences in the United States and Europe, and at every kind of event from frat parties to funerals. I play every genre of music imaginable and absolutely love them all. My very favorite thing to do though is sing my four children to sleep at night.
Perhaps I am in some small way hoping to pass on the cultural inheritance my family gave me. My eldest son Gregory is already doing quite well playing the Bass guitar and singing. Just yesterday my next to oldest asked if I could buy him a guitar, what a wonderful note to end on. I am filled with joy at the thought of growing old, listening to my own children play musical instruments and sing. It blesses me to know the musical heritage of my family will not end with me.
I remember well the veritable cornucopia of music I heard when I would walk by my sibling’s bedrooms in the big house where I grew up. My brother Rick would be listening to the Beetles, and the Rolling stones while playing along on his drums. My sister Lori would be playing her guitar and singing Bob Dylan’s classic song “The Times They Are A Changing”. I still remember all the lyrics to that song even today, Lisa the youngest of my sisters listened to Carol King, Simon and Garfunkel, Gordon lightfoot and many, many more. John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” would be drifting from my brother Jim’s room in the attic as he played his guitar and sang. The list would go on and on if I wrote about every music style and genre my five older brothers and four older sisters listened to or played and sang. My family’s love for music had a very profound effect on my life.
Steve who is my next oldest brother is a piano player and was blessed with a wonderful voice. He would sit at the piano and play songs by ear for hours. The unique thing about Steve is that he cannot read music, I would sit on the stairs near the piano and listen to him play and my heart would just leap inside of me. I learned more about my brother’s heart listening to him sing the songs he wrote, than I ever did having a conversation with him. One particular song he wrote, “Calm of the Night” is a beautiful love song, I close my eyes, and I can hear the passion in my brothers’ voice right now. “Walking alone under the moonlight / a desolate beachfront / no one in sight / I hear you call but it’s all in my mind / I want to be with you for all time / in the calm of the night”. Through his music Steve taught me that it was all right to be transparent with your feelings, I was so moved by his music. If he was singing about something sad, I would feel sad, just like when you lose someone you love. If he was singing something happy, I would feel as happy as if someone had given me a gift I had wanted for a long time. My brothers’ music was a gift, an invaluable gift. Steve is just one of my siblings who inspired in me the passion for music.
My sister Lisa would come home from work and the very first thing she would do was go to her room and turn on the stereo. For her, it was an escape from the stress of a hectic day at the shop. She would sit in her big tan fluffy rocking chair and rock as the sounds of Gordon Lightfoot filled her room. Music was just like therapy to my sister, it moved her, and captured her full attention. I believe it took her to a different place, a peaceful place. To my sister Lisa, listening to music was like slipping into a hot tub when all your muscles ache, soothing and relaxing. Another one of my siblings, Jim, used music for therapy.
My brother Jim would come home from work, go in his room and start playing his guitar and singing. He had a unique deep dirt road voice that lent itself well to the styles of music he chose to sing. There were several occasions when I couldn’t tell if it was Jim singing or a Gordon Lightfoot record playing up in his room. All of my siblings played guitar but Jim was by far the best guitarist of them all. He would sit and practice for hours. I learned so much about the discipline of practice observing his tenacious work ethic as he played guitar for hours on end.
I started playing guitar when I was ten years old. I played until my fingers bled, put band-aids on my fingers and played some more, spurred on by my desire to play like my older siblings. The passion for music that developed in me is almost inexplicable. I always have music playing, whether in my car or at home. I even prefer to listen to music over watching television. In the year 2003 I released my first CD, “Destination Known” I wrote all but one of the songs on it. I dedicated my CD in part to my family for instilling a love for music in me. I have played for audiences in the United States and Europe, and at every kind of event from frat parties to funerals. I play every genre of music imaginable and absolutely love them all. My very favorite thing to do though is sing my four children to sleep at night.
Perhaps I am in some small way hoping to pass on the cultural inheritance my family gave me. My eldest son Gregory is already doing quite well playing the Bass guitar and singing. Just yesterday my next to oldest asked if I could buy him a guitar, what a wonderful note to end on. I am filled with joy at the thought of growing old, listening to my own children play musical instruments and sing. It blesses me to know the musical heritage of my family will not end with me.
posted by Tommy at 1:39 PM
1 Comments:
Awesome. A Person could write whole books about musicology, but never get to the root of what music is for people, why it plays such a huge part in all our lives, like this essay has done. Good way to get started, Tom!
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