Old Lady Painter Music

I tweeted yesterday that a friend of my Oldest daughter said that my music was “Old Lady Painter Music.” I painted today (that’s what the interior designer side of me loves to do) and I listened to music. I tried so hard not to listen to “my music” today. I don’t think I liked it.

Some of it was okay. I liked Train, Pink, Florence and the Machine, Adele, Flo Rida, and Eric Hutchinson. I used my song-id app to find out that I liked Eric Hutchinson. Most of the music was just not to my liking. At least not to paint to. I guess I’m a classic rock girl. But, I do like other music. It really depends on my mood. I have come out of the 70s and 80s a bit...I like Lucinda Williams, Brandi Carlile, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Ray LaMontagne…

So, was it my upbringing? And, why do some of my friends who are also in their mid-40s like the newer music? What happened to me? How do we determine our musical likes? Will I be listening to the same music genres for the rest of my life? I can picture myself driving down the road in my 80s with a head of white hair blowing in the wind with Journey or Talking Heads or Genesis (old Genesis with Peter Gabriel at the helm) or Heart or Jefferson Starship cranking.

My first real rock album.
These guys looks SO cool in their leather and fur jackets.
What was your first rock album?

If I think back to my youngest musical influences, I remember my parents buying me Mitch Miller albums. With sing-a-long books in them with songs like In the Shade of the Apple Tree and Goodnight, Irene that I can still hear my grandmother singing. Thank goodness for a Cool Uncle who got me my first rock album. Foreigner’s Double Vision. Yea, they were a local band from Rochester NY where I grew up; and I almost got to jam with the bassist who was friends with one of my drum instructors, but they were real music.

Yea, I still have one of those first albums. Don't ask me why.

I do have old country music in my blood too. Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willy Nelson, Emmylou Harris. Can’t help that. My dad would drag me to country bars or country jamborees when I was 16 and 17 to play drums with some of his friends. I haven’t really broken much into new country except for a few songs or bands. So, that brings me back to why am I still stuck in the past and some people are moving on? Or, are there others out there like me just happy with music we grew up with?

It’s comforting.

New country that I do like...

This is a song that Mary Selvidge wrote and sings called I've Seen Angels.

Some days I want to relax to the Eagles, Tom Petty, ELO or Fleetwood Mac. Other days, I want to rebel with Joan Jett or Lita Ford or Wendy O. Williams. And, some days are in between. Having CDs that I can switch out is better for me than having the unpredictability of the radio (unless it’s a classic rock station).

Now, if it is what we are exposed to, why is it that my Oldest likes classic rock with even harder AC/DC and Aerosmith thrown in there plus oddities like Laurie Anderson and Michelle Shocked that I also still listen to and my Youngest likes the new music that I tried listening to today plus new country?

Do your kids like what you like? What makes us like new music? Is it exposure? Will I get the hang of the new stuff? Will it grow on me? Or, will I just always be listening to Old Lady Painter Music? 

Please share your thoughts below or at http://facebook.com/barbarabeige

www.barbarabeige.com

@Ybbeige
http://facebook.com/barbarabeige