My Dad Inspired My Love Of Music
Hey, Happy Father's Day to all of the Dads and dad-figures in our lives. I hope you're having a wonderful weekend.
I'm among those missing their dads today. My father died in March of 2011 and I still miss him every single day. He had one of those larger than life personalities. He was wise, witty--hilarious, really, and also quite a gifted musician.
In fact, some of my happiest memories of him were when he would randomly get out his guitar and play and sing for us. Any moment at home could become a mini-concert and these were happy times for our family and friends. I'll forever miss his music, golden voice, and well, just him.
His love for music was one of the most prominent parts of his life. Thanks to him, I was exposed to and developed an appreciation for music of all kinds. He played the guitar, drums, and even a bit of keyboards. He also was an incredible singer. Very often he sang his own original music, but he also sang covers of some of the bands that I would consider some of my favorites today--including The Beatles, Cream, Yes, and many others.
But, he loved a wide range of music and he would sit and talk with us about the lyrics, the meaning and feeling behind them, and why this or that particular song mattered so much to him and to the world. It was better than any music appreciation class I could've taken in a more formal setting. This passion for all things musical was imparted to me and I treasure it as one of my favorite gifts from my kid-hood.
Thank you for the musical memories, Dad--and for so many things.
Again, Happy Father's Day, y'all. <3