Liam Kharem
September 5th, 2019
FIQWS Composition 10103
Professor Grove
Family Music
My family is expansive and comes from different corners of the world. From Ireland, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Hungary, etc. Because of this, there isn’t a tie to any one of those cultures that I feel very strongly. This is even more prevalent of a feeling because it all got filtered through New York City, a place where cultures mix and combine to create new ones. Through that process however, I can identify with the history of multicultural music that has been passed down through my family line to me. Members of my family from different cultural backgrounds all influenced a piece of my musical makeup today, which is more important to me than any DNA test. I owe every aspect of my life today to the voluntary and involuntary decisions of my family members.
My identity as a musician goes back many years through both sides of my family. My paternal grandfather grew up in a Basian household in Bedstuy, Brooklyn and developed alongside jazz and blues. His constant exposure to these forms of music changed every aspect of his life and led him to become a renowned jazz photographer, fully immersed in the 60s jazz world. Every aspect of his personality is based on that identity. Most of his hit stories are about his time as a young man in the east village, taking pictures for some of the greatest musicians alive. John Coltrane even played one of his original compositions once! My father of course was also strongly moved by the world my grandfather lived in and became a master jazz drummer himself. Years of hearing both his and my grandfather’s tales of that world funneled me into being where I am now, a jazz major living in Harlem, trying in some ways to connect with my family roots and traditions that goes back decades.
My father’s impact on my musical journey goes beyond just that of my introduction to jazz. While jazz has been a crucial piece in both of our musical stories, we also both have a deep love for folk and experimental songwriter music(ie. Wilco, Bright Eyes, Neil Young, Fleet Foxes etc.). I can of course credit my fascination with this genre with my dad as he’s been playing his own music around the house and playing classic albums that he wanted to be a fundamental part of me. Being tied to my father in this deep sense, especially in such a sensitive and beautiful form of music changed the course for my creative development and personality.
These precursors to my present identity as an 18 year old developing musicians can’t be understated. I didn’t until recently realize exactly why I identify with the things that I do, and why I find so much comfort in music. Once I started talking to my dad and grandfather and realizing the similarities in how we think and interact with the world around us did I fully understand how generational traditions affect people. It reminded me how essential it is for a young person to have familial ties and important relationships. I was blessed to be passed down a tradition of love, understanding and appreciation for beauty. I hold all of these emotions and lessons with me as I go forward into the world hoping to create, interact with all of the beauty around me and develop long lasting relationships that will probably affect my future family.
