A good idea Will P.! I've yet to see a very young child that wasn't interested in making sounds on an instrument. Specially if the adult in their life does. Not good to force it on them and make it a chore but just let them do what comes natural to them. Be supportive not demanding.

As the oldest of 8 kids, I'm the only one who plays and instrument.
My nephew plays guitar, and on June 18, I am giving my oldest grand-daughter her 1st guitar. I am so looking forward to that day, just 4 weeks away.

All my relie's in holland are classical musicians, my uncles a giging rock musician, and i'm a anti social person who likes playing guitar, dreaming of making a living out of it

_________________
riley

fhopkins, yes it is. used to be, my uncles would take the early sets while we all watched and learned. then, my older cousins would come in and play the 70's rock stuff. then when it got late, we would come in and bash out the 80's metal. my uncles despised our music but from time to time, we'd catch them in there tapping a foot and smiling.
now, some time later, it's my generation going back to our country and blues roots. i'd simply love to play "faded love" for my uncles this year. gosh, i'm getting emotional just thinking about it. great post. thanx.

That's very cool Tanner!!

Good song, faded love. Another one is (I don't know the name for sure) but the main line is - God didn't make honky tonk angels!!
Good songs for sitting around with the acoustics and everybody singing. I've got a whole (old ) set list of those type of songs the older generation loved to sing. Now I'm the older generation so I'll throw in the Stones "Angie or Wild Horses, Knocking on Heaven's Door etc."

My Dad played drums in a jazz band in Hawaii. I took up the guitar in 1965 and bought my only son a Tele when he was 12.He's Special Forces - Army and still has that Tele and takes it everywhere he can............ Mike

_________________
The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

Mike, your son is Special Forces? Tell him I appreciate his service!! I know you are a proud father!!

I will. Thanks. His girlfriend in an Airforce Pilot......... Mike

_________________
The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

That's great!! A double thanks from the Hopkins family!!

Grandma played piano, but her first instruments was mandolin. Her son, mu uncle, got me started on guitar. He even came over Christmas day to tune my new guitar.

My mom sang (and got state-level awards in high school) but never did anything with it after that. My dad played trumpet and was in a dance trio in his last two years of high school and first year of college but never played after that.

On my dad's side of the family, my grandmother played piano and my grandfather played musical saw and violin. Not sure if anyone going further back on my grandmother's side played/sang. My grandfather's brothers and sister all played musical instruments (sounds corny, but yes it was a Swiss "family thing" and not just in the movies). However, that I know of, none continued with it past early adulthood. I never heard any of them play or even mention it.

On my mom's side, my grandmother played piano and organ and she did occasionally fill in at church. None of my mom's brothers or sisters ever played any instruments though several had nice voices. None sang in bands though. Going back, I was told that many of my grandmother's ancestors were very musical while it was not a trait at all on my grandfather's side.

Bringing it up to date, I have two brothers (younger) and neither had the slighest interest in music. None of my aunts and uncles' kids (that I know of) ever had any interest in music either.

So as near as we can tell, musical ability comes from my dad's father's side and my mom's mother's side. But any real interest in doing it into adulthood is exclusively on my mom's mother's side. My understanding is that on that side, the old time relatives would sit around and play and sing. Not on any other side and most of my relatives considered my interest hopefully at best a passing teen fad and defintely a waste of time.

Good post, that's nice to think about.

I was born when my Pappa was 18 and in a rock - n - roll band. Is that a song lyric? Dang, I guess it is now. Anyway... the lyric is true. A good friend of my pops was the manager for The Band way, way back. Actually I have a vague memory of my cousins high school graduation when a bunch of the family and friends were playing guitars with Levon on drums. Wow that seems like a long time ago... It's interesting that he's really active in my area again.

I would spend lots of time with my Grandfather. Pop Pop. We would start our day with him playing an hour or two on organ. God that was a beautiful organ. I think it was from the 30's and it had so many buttons and knobs and flip switch effects it was mind boggling. Then we'd head into his art studio and talk about painting or sculpture.

I learned my first song on guitar from my Dad. "House of the Rising Sun"

My cousin is a fantastic keyboard player. He's one of those people who just has natural talent oozing out of him. Don't get me wrong, he took years of lessons to learn how to play but he made it look so easy!

if your dad played led zeppelin and pink floyd when you were young... you're still young.
my mom's side of the family were mostly all musicians... her brothers anyway. frank played guitar, hank played drums, george played piano and won awards for trumpet. my great uncle henry played mandolin. family cookouts always featured live music. my dad has a great voice.
at uncle henry's 90th b-day party, i played guitar, henry played his mandolin, and my dad sang spanish eyes. i'll never forget that.
uncle henry, rip. 1/27/18 - 2/21/08. one of my favorite people ever on the planet.

_________________

My mother played piano (so do I). She was so good that she was offered to be a touring concert pianist (she declined for other reasons in her personal life. My son plays bass guitar.......and my grandson plays guitar.

_________________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne