Music and Family Field Study

The person that I decided to interview for Music and Family Field Study was my wonderful mother. I am so blessed to have her as a mom and thrilled that I had the opportunity to talk to her about music from her generation. 

Me: "Hey Mom!"

Mom: "Hey darling!"

Me: "What kind of music did you listen to growing up?"

Mom: "R&B, Country, Gospel, Jazz, and Rap"

Me: "What kind of music was popular when you were a kid?"

Mom: "R&B and Pop"

Me: "What did your parents think about your music?"

Mom: "Our parents didn't say too much about our music. When I was a kid, me along with my 6 other siblings spent more time outside rather than listening to music."

Me: "Did Grandma or anyone else sing to you when you were little? If so, what did they sing?"

Mom: "Yes! Mama used to sing the nursery rhymes such as Hush Little Baby and Christmas songs."

Me: "What is your earliest musical memory?"

Mom: "The song Jesus Loves Me."

Me: "Did you and your friends have any special songs? If so, what were they?"

Mom: "We liked Michael Jackson's Thriller, songs by the Jackson Five, Otis Redding's Dock of the Bay, songs by The Temptations, Smoky Robinson and the Commodores Easy. Because it was seven of us in the house growing up, we also used to do our own talent shows."

Me: "Who were some of the artists that you used to listen to?"

Mom: "I used to listen to Michael Jackson, the Jackson Five, Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, MC Hammer, Smoky Robinson and the Commodores, Otis Redding, New Edition, The Temptations, Donna Summer, TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, SWV, Boyz II Men, Bobby Brown, Charlie Wilson, Johnny Gill, Franky Smith, Brian McKnight, Teddy Pendergrass, Maxwell, Cameo, Freddie Jackson, and many more."

Me: "Did you go to dances? If so, what were they like?"

Mom: "I went to the junior high dance. Nothing much really happened besides listening to music and everyone mingling."

Me: "Did you go through any "musical phases"? What were they?'

Mom: "I listened to some R&B and then some other times I would listen to some rap but it was not like hard core rap like that exists today."

Me: "What influenced your music taste? Friends? Family? No one? The radio?"

Mom: "Friends and family influenced my music tastes."

Me: "Did you have any special music for special occasions when growing up?"

Mom: "Christmas music and my favorite song was Silent Night by The Temptations."

Me: "How has the music you listen to changed over the years?"

Mom: "To me music had more meaning back then. In today's society, people can say anything to make a song and everyone goes crazy over it."

Me: "Did the music you liked when you were younger influence your current music tastes?"

Mom: "Yes because I still listen to that same music today."

Me: "How has music technology changed over the years from when you were a kid?"

Mom: "Everything is streamed today. We used to have to vinyls or records, cassette tapes, and boom boxes."

Me: "Did you experience the time period when 8-track tapes existed? How was that experience?

Mom: "Yes I did. It was fine coming along because that was how we as children would listen to music."

Me: "How easy or hard has it been to adapt to newer music technologies?"

Mom: "It's easier in the sense that you can carry music with you wherever you go. You can take your laptop, smart phones, aux chords, iPads, iPods, etc. In today's society, with so many streaming services, it's more accessible and you can listen to more genres of music."

Me: "When do you listen to music?"

Mom: "I listen to music sometimes while driving in the car, at work if I'm in the office by myself, and at home."

Me: "Have you have been to any concerts or music festivals? If so, which ones? If not, do you wish to go to one someday and who do you wish to see?"

Mom: "It's been a long time since I've been to a concert. The last concert I went to was in 1985 at a Jazz Festival in Atlanta."

Me: "What do you think about my generations music?"

Mom: "I prefer my generation of music. Old-school music. In my opinion, old school music had more meaning, it was more soulful. I dislike your generations music. To me it's very different and it takes away from the journey of music. Some artists today take things from music in my generation. In today's generation of music, it's hard to understand what a lot of the artist's are saying."