Are you from a musical or artistic family as I am? I wonder how many of us are? Studies are revealing music is one of the most inherited, hard wired concept. Sandra M

Nobody except my father, who in addition to being an accomplished pianist was a woodcarver of outstanding ability. He didn't create his own music but he did produce a constant stream of carvings of his own design, especially in the Maori idiom. He was the first pakeha (non-Maori) to be admitted to a Maori carving school in the fifties. Remarkably, perhaps, for those years, he loved abstract art and made many abstract wood carvings. In the fifties the Auckland City Council, and people in general, severely attacked the purchase of a Barbara Hepworth sculpture, saying it looked like a cow's backside. Dad went against the tide, deemed it a work of great talent, and immediately "decided" to commence abstract wood sculpture himself.

Much of my piano music is pretty unorthodox and hairy too, so yes, I could have inherited the same creative drive toward strangeness, but just in a different medium.

Both my parents were non musicians, but my father did play the piano and the guitar to a little accomplished level (up to some Beethoven 'sonatinas' for example)...

They loved music and that was enough for me...

My dad is a virtuosic guitarist and my mom sings.

There is modest talent in my family. My parents and my siblings never had any realistic chance with music because of low income. However, my two brothers and myself taught ourselves to play music as adults. My middle brother probably has the most talent, but he reached his plateau long ago and hasn't done much with it since. I have what might be called "ham" gene in that I like to perform for others so I do the most with music and like sharing it with others.

My nephews had piano lessons and violin lessons as did my niece. My niece also took up French horn and wanted to major in music in college, when she was a sophomore in high school. Then came a new band/orchestra director and she gave that up. It shows the power of a good mentor/teacher vs. an average one. The oldest nephew played in kid piano competitions when he was 10 to 12. He was quite good. Unfortunately, he didn't like practicing, with a special dislike for scales, so he reached his plateau for his level of commitment and eventually gave it up.

None of the youngsters do much with music any more, but perhaps they will be like some adults on the ABF forum and come back to it later in life. My niece talks about playing violin again. She owns a very nice one for a high school orchestra player. However, like piano, violin tends to be a time intensive activity.

Nikolas, Ted and Sand Tiger so enjoyed your sharing with us. Nikolas your family liked music and that was passed on to you. Ted you had a very artistic and talented father and what a blessing to you as you have a great passion for music. Sand Tiger your ham gene is wonderful and wish more people would have this ham gene. My family was very artistic and music was their passion in general. My grandfather was a concert level violinist, my dad was 15 year pro, society band, on and on as a long list. My grandmother had 11 siblings and they played piano by ear and they were quite good, piano and guitar. Sandra M