Music Connects Us
Music has always been a powerful and connective force, especially when we least expect it. My father dedicated his life to classical music. Classical was the only form of music we would hear coming from a radio or his cello as he practiced in our living room. Rock n Roll was only allowed with headphones unless my mom and I were in the car, without dad. I admit I had quite the contempt for Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky during my youth. I grew up with these old men and they didn't understand me in the early 1980s.
How did they impact me? They taught me to listen even if I didn't want to. They taught me to hear the instruments and the passion and emotion that made up each piece of music. In my own space, I listened to Metallica, The Doors, and The Rolling Stones. I found myself listening and hearing the instruments. I found myself recognizing the emotion. I remember telling my father that Metallica and Beethoven were a lot alike. Take away the electricity and a lot of the energy was the same. He didn't agree nor did he ever like Metallica, but the debate was enjoyable. Even if we didn't agree on music, it is what connected us.
Classical music
Childhood
Marty Amrine, 43, Writer
music-connects-us
The Musical Awakening of Steven Van Zandt
On February 9, 1964, The Beatles’ group appearance on <em>The Ed Sullivan Show</em> electrified the nation. Four months later, a young Steven Van Zandt had an “epiphany” while watching <em>The Hollywood Palace</em>, another variety show. That night, singer Dean Martin hosted—and then teased—The Rolling Stones, representing a generational shift. The past met the future, and it opened up new possibilities for an aspiring musician.
The Beatles’ performance on <em>The Ed Sullivan Show</em> and The Rolling Stones’ performance on <em>Hollywood Palace</em>
1964
Steven Van Zandt, musician (E Street Band), actor (The Sopranos), and founder of Rock & Roll Forever Foundation
steven-van-zandt