After my younger brother got his first drum set, and we started playing together with me on piano and vocals, my parents decided we needed a room in our house primarily for playing and listening to music. We’d been using the dining room for this, but it was a bit crowded and not as comfortable. In the summer of 1979, with the help of my uncle, an architect, and a reliable crew of carpenters, this room was built. The following poem from How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver describes how this room evolved and effected our lives.
The Music Room
After one crew removed the old room,
another poured cement, created a floor, walls, windows, roof.
Carpeting was laid.
The piano, drum set, and stereo were installed.
A love seat and Franklin stove were purchased.
For years, we played together in that room,
me on piano, my brother on drums.
We eventually went our separate ways--
the house was sold--
we still remember.
Did you make music when you were growing up? What instruments did you play? Did you take lessons? Did you and your siblings ever form a band? Please feel free to share your memories below.
Abbie Johnson Taylor, Author of We Shall Overcome and How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver
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