When I was growing up and listening to my then mainly rock records, my father, who listens to classical, would often kill my listening pleasure with a brusque "Turn it down!" or worse yet, "Turn that shit off!". So when I got into my twenties and became more musically self-confident, I promised myself that I would never buy another classical record nor would I willingly listen to classical music ever again. I acknowledge that classical music has merit, and my father and I agree on many things, but there is always that divide when it comes to music. The irony is that if I had teen-age kids today and they listened to techno, I might be tempted to echo my father's "Turn that shit off!".

No matter how hard you try, you will become your father at some point. Anytime I hear rap or hip hop, I feel that urge to say "Shut that shit off!" myself.

I probably have a block against opera because my Dad tried to make me like it and I just never got it. I had my music, he had his and never the two met, though he did acknowledge that The Beatles had something about them.

I got my love of music from my parents. There was always something playing in the house. My dad liked big band, and my Mom loves standards and Italian songs. My father hated rock and roll, and he would be the "turn that crap down" guy. My mother was more tolerant, and would let us play our stuff as long as it wasn't blasting. She is a Presley fan(I am not) and also liked the Beatles.
Growing up, my kids listened to a lot of rap and hip-hop, which was OK with me as I actually got to like some of it.My daughter eventually turned to dance and country, and my son loves rock , pop,blues, jazz, and many other types. I never forced anything on them, and it's kinda' neat when your kids are listening to stuff you grew up listening to. Just another joy of being a parent.

My mom used to join in and sing whenever a Hank Williams tune would play. I came to respect his talent early on.

I'm looking at the Bear Family Jimmie Rogers set now because Boz Scaggs did such a lovely job on Waiting For A Train, and because I found the 78 in my mother's grandmother's attic when we cleaned out the old family home for sale. It was cracked, but the connection has remained in my head.

Generally we kids were allowed to play anything we wanted on the old 1958 Magnovox console (12" woofers with a big tube amp). We both eventually got systems for our rooms. I don't listen to classical music because I have no tolerance for surface noise. With all the quiet passages, there was no way that a classical LP was anything but torture for me. The damage was done early but not by parental transgression.

My dad thought David Bowie, and later Prince, were queer when they came on TV. The only other comment I remember was an out loud thank you to James Taylor when he gave us permission to sing his song when he was gone (Close Your Eyes - Mud Slide Slim).

Yea, my dad is 'old' still, haha, but my mom keeps up with 'our' music fairly well (I'm the oldest of 5 kids, youngest is only 15). I always had the cool mom everyone else wanted.

My mom is pretty cool about music too. She's has been with me to many concerts, especially Beach Boys and Brian Wilson. She knows enough about music that I can trust her to buy the current issues of Mojo and Record Collector for me without my checking them first. She knows my taste. She knows not to buy magazines with Pink Floyd on the cover, for example.