So, today March 25th, is my pop’s birthday.
My dad is, as for many good sons, in many ways my template for what I’m expected to be. Hard working; passionate; funny; charismatic; talented; loving; honest; – all things I strive for in my life. I thought doing a post was a good idea, to help celebrate a man, a person, who is the only father I’ll ever have.
My favorite memories of my dad from when I was a kid are listening to him record songs:
He’d record on this Sony double-deck tape player; audio signals routed through a heavy metal and taupe-plastic microphone. We’d sit there together. It’s a Saturday morning in Burlingame CA. His apartment’s hardwood floor is cold, but comforting. It smells the way wood floors do. I’d listen to him play music, half was in Spanish, which at the time I didn’t understand. I’d push my fingernails into the wood because I liked the way it felt. My Dad smelled like cigarettes and Armani cologne.
I always thought he was playing other people’s songs, although as I grew up I found out he was recording his own songs the whole time. To me these songs were the best, songs other people would know. I’ve asked him, but he lost most of the cassettes, victims of another time, another world.
My first love affair with music was anything my Dad showed me (Depeche Mode, New Order, U2, Erasure, Oingo Boingo, Silvio Rodriguez, Pablo Milanes, Led Zeppelin, Cat Stevens, Dan Folgelberg, CCR, etc) – my Dad is the reason is have any semblance of musical taste and snobbery. So, yeah, blame him if you don’t like me.
He was the main reason I picked up the guitar; the reason I sat for hours watching other people play; the reason I joined the Jazz Band in High School; why I listened to rock music; why I wore ripped jeans.
Today my dad and I play music all the time. I usually play drums and he gets on the guitar and we have a really good time. I’ve always described connecting with someone musically as a very intimate thing. I’m glad I’m able to share that with my father.
I found it appropriate to, aside from the typical presents you give your Dad, to write a little blog post celbrating him, as well as putting together a mix of songs that either reminded me of him, songs i know he likes, or songs I know he would like.