When did you start to love music and why?

Hey Phd … I’m always happy to be grandfathered in so I’m certainly not complaining. But truth be told, I did already contribute ‘my story’ earlier. I guess it didn’t make much of an impression, but whaddya want? The competition here is fierce, LOL!

First prize so far definitely goes to Sfar. When I read “My bedroom was in a coverted porch that wasn't connected to the rest of the house” I just about lost it. Then came “the empty West Texas sky,” and I did lose it! The “whacko” preachers and the absence of classical music were just icing on the cake.

For better or worse, reading the other real life ‘confessions’ in this thread have reminded me of some of what I had either lost to failing memory (like those little red plastic transistor radios that all the kids coveted) or repressed on purpose (who wouldn’t want to forget Mitch Miller and his “bouncing balls”?). And no thanks to Lowrider bringing up Mitch and Ray, I am now being haunted by other long forgotten sights and sounds that have crept back into my consciousness (Lawrence Welk waving his baton to “a one, and a two, and a …” not to mention that auditory sedative and elevator music pioneer, Mantovani).

In 50 years I wonder what they’ll be writing about what’s produced today? Look out Miley Cyrus!

Gz3827, actually I did read your post earlier but failed to associate your more recent post with it, my apologies.

I think I was about ten when My grandmother let me put some of her old 78's on her turntable. I wore out a copy of "Aba-Daba Honeymoon".
My mom and dad loved "Swing" and even though I grew up in the Fifties with the real Rock and Roll, I still today like to listen to some of the old Big Bands.
I think we love music because it brings back some great memories.

1961 Grundig Console for me. Spent summers with my Godparents who owned this amazing piece of audio equipment for this time. Had a front door that opened to expose the turntable. Since I was 4 or 5 I could stand in front of this wonderful console and spin records for hours and hours. Everything from Elvis to Herb Alpert kept me mesmerized.

When my Godparents passed I was able to keep this piece of my musical history. I'm so thankful that they didn't "shoo" me away from such an expensive item but rather encouraged my to explore my love for music. The Grundig still works to this day!

I honestly can't remember a beginning, I just always did as far back as I can remember. It may have and probably did start with my father, quite a good amateur singer, an Irish tenor who modeled himself after John McCormack when he was a boy. His parents came from Ireland so there was that influence as well. He always sang acapella at our big family get together's which were frequent when I was growing up. Man, I sure remember how fun it was during that time with all the cousins, aunts and uncles! I would generally serve the beers along with my cousin Peter as the men talked politics, getting into frequent arguments as the beers went down, it was the McCarthy era so plenty of differing opinions. We all lived close together then. After things settled down his siblings would encourage my Dad to sing. He would always settle things down with his singing and the enviroment grew quieter. I was amazed at the effect it had on everyone, bringing tears to the siblings in particular. He was the oldest of nine, his father died when he was a young man of 21 so he was almost a surrogate father to the younger ones. When we were very young, some of my very earliest memories, he would sing Irish Lullabys and melencholy Irish songs, Mechusla, Danny Boy, Little Town in the Auld County Down and it was just so nice. Most importantly my father loved music, ALL types of music and could always appreciate good music and good musianship regardless of the genre so if not for him I don't know if I would have the same passion for it as I do. There were also plenty of musicians on my mother's side. She too sang around the house growing up, loved music and was influential as well but not quite like my Dad.

When I was 9 or 10 the cheap mono record player was replaced with a genuine solid Maple Zenith Console stereo and things really took off from there.