When did you know that music was your passion?

Devilboy,
I had a similar story to yours. I was like 12 and used to spend summers at my grandma's place. One day a buddy of my cousin came and brought along some 'strange music'. Being younger than them I didn't dare going into the living room to hang out with them so I was in the next room but I could listen to the music...it was strange but fascinating. This guy kept singing about a musical box. After their listening session was over and they had left, I ran to the living room to check out the LPs. First one I picked up had a picture of a man with a flower around his head. It turned out to be an earlier Genesis album. I started playing some of it on the 'forbidden' stereo and I was hooked for life. Grandma gave me money the following Xmas to buy me some records: I remember buying Marillion's Real to Reel. Since then I started spending endless afternoons in record stores browsing the most eclectic sections (these records had the best covers period!) I am talking about Marillion, Gentle giant, jethro tull, genesis, king crimson, yes.....
oh boy....those were good days.

I was in the third grade and my cousing had bought a
sony walkman. I loved the sound. Then in the 4th grade,
I won my school spelling bee and won a boombox. I used
to love resting the box on my chest while I was in bed, with my head between the two speakers.
Since then, I have grown to know that this was the infamous
sweet spot.

1972, we moved out of Philly to a near by suburb that had a very strong music program. It was my first day of second grade at our new school when I walked into the "bandroom" by accident. I now believe that it was not a mistake but a subliminal action. As I entered the large room with a small theater like presence I heard the opening drum crashes of "Fanfare for the Common Man". Wide eyed and shocked that there were no musicians in the room I walked in further to see where they all were........No one in sight except for a woman sitting at her desk doing paper work. Then it happened! The first notes of the trumpet poured into the room with a sound that stirred my little soul. I knew I was in the wrong room but was frozen in my tracks. The teacher finally noticed me after about 20 seconds and motioned me to her desk. As I walked to her desk I could not take my eyes off those big wooden boxes in the front of the room. She asked me what classroom I was looking for and she would point me in the right direction. Eyes still fixed on those boxes which were now playing the full scale melody of rich brass works I held my schedule out in her direction. She was the most understanding teacher I have ever had, never spoke a word as I stood there with arm extended, paper in hand staring at the speakers in awe. She waited until the Fanfare was over then tried to regain my attention which was still fixed on those big speakers.......She was so cool that she walked me to my new homeroom and explained to my teacher that the new student had got himself lost on his first day. She then told my homeroom teacher that she wanted me brought back to the bandroom after class was over.

After class I went back to the bandroom and was introduced to Mrs. Holly, the elementary schools music director. She asked me if I liked the piece of music I heard that morning? "Yes". Had I ever heard it before? "No". With those two short answers she must have been inside my head because she wasted no time going to a locker and pulling out a trumpet, handed it to me, and walked to the turntable. Pointed to the chair that was sitting where the conductor would stand, but facing the front of the room instead of the musicians. There "they" were again! Those two enormous wooden wonders that captured my attention that morning. With a thunderous crash Fanfare for the Common Man exploded before my eyes and ears again, and when the trumpet intro began I knew immediately that the piece of bent up metal with ivory buttons I was holding in my hands was the very same instrument that I was hearing. I became a trumpet player the next day and have been ever since that day. As for the speakers, a Giant pair of Altec Lansing horns! I was hooked from that day on.......an audiophile in the making. All thanks to an elementary school music teacher with an Audiophile ear. I realized much later how awesome she was to have a nice chair sitting in the sweet spot for me to experience quality sound for the very first time............Thank You Mrs. Holly and God Bless You!

It happened just last week when my girlfriend told me that if I'd play a particular song on a particular CD, that she'd suck my....... OH, you are probably asking for the F-I-R-S-T time, instead of the most RECENT one!
Continued Happy Listening!

1958

One of the long established radio stations (WNIA) changed formats from country to "contemporary" (for lack of a better term). I heard "Rave On" by Buddy Holly for the first time.

Slam dunk.