Music & Family 

My Mom and I

For my Music and Family Blog, I decided to interview my mom, Anna. Initially, I was a little hesitant about how the interview would work as she is in Vancouver; Canada, and I am here in Spartanburg. However, once we found a time to work and I choose the questions that I would ask my mom the interview went very well. It was cool to learn more about how music influenced my mom’s life which directly or indirectly affected mine too. 

First, I want to introduce a little bit about mom. She was born in Vancouver, Canada to two immigrant parents who had moved from Greece. When my mom’s parents moved to Vancouver, they didn’t know anything about what life in Canada would be like.  They only had this dream of giving their children a better life. They were excited by the idea of all the opportunities it would offer and made the courageous move. Throughout her childhood, she would grow up in both Greece and in Vancouver. My mom is also an older sister to my aunt, Yota. My mom graduated from the University of British Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in Arts and went on to become an Elementary school teacher. She has been a teacher for over twenty years and continues to love it.  I hope this gave you more insight into my mom’s background and how this may play a role in her musical tastes. 

For my first question I asked, “What did your parents think of your music and what do you think of the music today’s young people listen to it?” My mom swiftly replied by saying “My mom liked most of my music. My dad didn’t. He liked the music of Greece. I like some of the music that young people listen to today. I don’t think that music is as polarized as it was when I was going growing up. Today my class listened to “who let the dogs out” It was a 7-year-old’s favorite song and a song that I really like.  The lines between “parents” music and “young people” music are blurred”. Secondly, I asked, “What is your least favorite type of music and why?” My mom chuckled and said “I don’t like techno-type music with a heavy beat and no lyrics. I like when the music tells a story and techno doesn’t. Or at least I don’t know what the story is.” My third question was “How have your musical tastes changed over the course of your life?” My mom said “As you evolve your taste evolves and the artists you like,  also age and evolve with you. As I got older I began listening to more country. But I also feel country became more rock or even “pop” like. Some songs have special memories so you collect those as you get older.” My next question for my mom was “Do you have a special song for a special reason?” Like me, my mom often associates music with a time or place. She responded by saying “At those pivotal moments in my life certain songs became part of the memory. Like watching Evita in the theatre and feeling Alex moving in my stomach in the last days of pregnancy. Or listening to I Will Take Care of You by Amy Sky and knowing that would be Alex’s song from me. Your song is I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack.” My final question was “Have you been to any live concerts? Who was it and what was it like?” My mom grinned and said “I have been to some live concerts. My fav of course was Shania Twain with my fav girl! We were on the floor it was a spring night and we danced and sang all night.  The songs were all about being a woman and being unstoppable! Shania will also be another favorite artist for this memory!”  I really enjoyed writing this blog assignment. It was interesting to learn about my mom and perhaps some of the reasons I like the music I do today.