I am pretty sure most people would recognize the voice behind the hit song, "Don't worry, be happy" as the Grammy award winning singer Bobby McFerrin. I am also pretty sure that most people do not know of Robert McFerrin, Bobby McFerrins father. Until about a week ago I didn't know who he was either!! So, I'm gonna tell you guys a little bit about him!
Here are a few fun facts:
Robert McFerrin was the first African American man to sing with the Metropolitan Opera. He was also the first African American man in the Metropolitan Opera Company when he made his debut in 1955. In 1959, he provided the vocals for Sidney Poitier in "Porgy and Bess". Even after suffering a stroke in 1989, Robert McFerrins singing voice remained. Father and Son performed together in 1993 with the St. Louis Symphony. Bobby McFerrin said of his father, "his work influenced everything I do musically".
Although all of my musical influence does not stem from my family, some of the most meaningful musical experiences I have had come from making music with my family. From hymns to Broadway favorites or having my sister accompany me on a piece I am playing, my family has spent many hours together making music. And even though only one of my 5 siblings has actually pursued music in college, my family supports with anything I do musically. I loved learning about Bobby McFerrin and his father because I love a good story about family and music- two of the most important things to me.
Does family play an important role in your music making?
Here is one of the articles where I found some info on Robert McFerrin and where I found the quote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/28/obituaries/28mcferrin.html?_r=0
This really hits home with me because my family is the whole reason I became interested in music. None of them ever went to college for music, I am the first in my family to do so, but they are surprisingly all musically inclined in some way and at family events we would sit around a piano and sing and play instruments together. Even though my dad sings rock music and my aunt belts out jazz and my uncle plays drums...they really inspired me to do what I am doing now. Family really sets you on a track and when it comes to music I think that family involvement is really important! I know a lot of kids in music grow up without that but they still know what that musical companionship feels like when they make music. Thanks for sharing this! I had no idea who Robert McFerrin was until today!
ReplyDeleteMy family has an important role in my music making. Just because my parents didn't ever do music doesn't mean that they play a small role. They have done nothing but support me in all my endeavors in music, which is all I can ask for. I'm in music school when they could have forced me to do something else. That means they are the most important people in forming my future career in music.
ReplyDeleteMy family has an important role in my music making because my family is not musical at all. In some ways I really love it because they support me no matter what. Like if I play poorly, sometimes they can't tell and are amazed and that makes me feel better about my playing.
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