I had to smile when a friend of mine playfully called me a hippy for listening to Grateful Dead and reminded me to remember my punk roots. I do love my skewed, sordid, spectacled and silly musical past.
My early childhood was spent listening to my Mom play albums of Broadway musicals like Oklahoma! and My Fair Lady while we all cleaned the house on the weekends. Occasionally I would sneak in a listen to whatever my older brothers or sisters were listening to. Talk about varied: Pink Floyd, CrosbyStillsNashandYoung, Beach Boys and Bread. I still remember laughing with my sister Mary as we listened to Paul Simon sing Kodachrome. She loved the part where he sings about Mama don't take my Kodachrome and then whines in tune. Michael Jackson was still the baby brother of the Jackson Five. Of course, my own collection at the time consisted of Burl Ive's Presents Froggy Wenta Courtin' (which I still have) and two I wish I still had: The Official Sesame Street 2 Book and Album and some album put out by the Electric Company tv show, also on PBS. Who knew my parents were such big supporters of public television? It's funny because we lived next door to a producer for Warner Bros. who used to bring us all kinds of albums but my musical palate was still a little weak for Roberta Flack, the Allman Bros and the Grateful Dead. I did, however, love running around in the tshirts that he supplied us on a regular basis (really wish I had kept those).


I remember a morning when I sat at the breakfast table with my mom and she read to me about a new musical "genre" in Great Britain. The band members, who wore safety pins as jewelry, would spit on their audiences and curse at them. She was horrified and disgusted and let me know about it in no uncertain terms. I was 12. It was only a few years later after a car accident that left me with a shaved head and some pretty nasty scars that I really embraced the Punk movement as my own. My mom was not pleased, before that I had been content to listen to Fleetwood Mac's Rumors, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and ABBA. Before her eyes I was jumping from Queen to the Sex Pistols. What was happening to me?
We moved quite a bit during my high school years and with every move and change of school came a change in attitude, clothing and musical taste. I've listened to and loved everything from the Adolescents and Black Flag to Yes and ZZ Top. ( I know that was cliche' but I really couldn't resist). I <3 The Police before anybody <3 ed anything. I took my turn at being a Madonna Wannabe and a Goth before they were called "Goths".
After high school I really went chameleon. My first love and focus for study was Motion Picture and Video production with a heavy emphasis on music.
Listening to Grateful Dead at bonfires in Alaska and slam dancing at JFA concerts at Party Gardens. Believe in the poet/spirit of Tupac. Sang and danced for college and community musicals and (now this is really embarassing) line danced to the some boot scoot boogie.
Now that I'm getting "older", I'll listen to some old UK Subs, Dead Kennedys or PIL but I'm more likely to kick back and listen to some upbeat Jazz or some of the softer alternative musings of the day and I really, really dig bluegrass (how's that for Hippy, Shawn?)
I've said it before, I really am one of those people who, when asked what type of music they like, can truly answer I like it all. For that, I am truly thankful.