Do you have a muse? Someone who sparked an interest that made you realize you were also meant to be doing something musical?

MJ and Janet did it for me though I'm also inspired by others.

Pat Metheny for me

alphastreet said:

I grew up watchin my dad play bass and percussion, but when I saw Prince play his solo on "Let's Go Crazy" in "Purple Rain" I was a goner...

I loved the instrument part of when doves cry too and I would die for you with all the instruments when I was really young too.

I grew up in a musical family as well.
[Edited 4/10/09 19:22pm]

Saturday's was my father day to hog the radio/record player component set in the living room. Of his jazz standards Charlie Parker and Wes Montgomery were the two artist I always stopped what I was doing and listened.It was because of Mr. Parker I've played the soprano/alto sax for these past 30 years.

At far as acoustic guitar, watching the documentary about Woodstock a year after it happened and wanted to learn how to play acoustic guitar. Though.... it took me 30 years to get around to learning how to play.
[Edited 4/12/09 7:12am]

I know it's a musician thread, but

Marley Marl
45 King
Pete Rock

inspired me to do my beat-makin' thing

TD3 said:

I'm curious: At what age did you begin guitar lessons?

I think Prince inspired a lot of today's producer/songwriter types who (think they) write, produce, perform, bla bla bla like his infamous album credit.

alphastreet said:

Jackson 5ive and my pops and his band.

My pops was the drummer so I got my drumming from him and the bassist, this cat named Karl got me into bass/guitar.

I love jackson 5 too, young mj inspires me just as much as adult mj, I have many j5 and solo mj motown albums and love his energy.

Lammastide said:

At age the age of 35. It's been a joy I could kick me-self for not starting to play much earlier. I've been playing for a decade.
[Edited 4/12/09 8:11am]

TD3 said:

That's encouraging. I'm 36 and I've been kicking myself for not sticking with an instrument. Sometimes I tell myself I'm too old, which I know is ridiculous. I may begin again.
[Edited 4/11/09 8:23am]

Michael Jackson basically started it for me at 12, I actually even wanted to be a dancer and was called a "natural talent" on that field. Then I got a cheap Kawai keyboard and a not-so-cheap Fender guitar a few years later. I thought I'd start with keys because Michael apparently played keys too (and synths were a big part of his music). and I also liked Ray Charles. It was Prince that made me want to purchase a guitar, and Stevie Wonder got me into purchasing a harmonica - which I never learnt to play myself.

These days I make death industrial and noise.
[Edited 4/11/09 8:31am]

My family was my initial inspiration. Practically everyone plays, reads, etc. Then Patrice Rushen and Prince, Wendy & Lisa.

I think as long as the desire and commitment is there, one is never too old to take on a new instrument. I'm seriously considering the violin which I know is going to be tough as hell.

Cinnie said:

They're musicians too. If your left had cut a record and your right hand have ever wroked a fader you're a musician. If you've ever tapped a beat out on an SP-12, a DMX or a Roland TR 808 you're a musician. So is DJ Premier, DJ Scratch Jam Master Jay, Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, Jazzy Jay, DJ Pooh, Sir Jinx, Rick Rubin, Larry Smith, Mixmaster Spade, D-Nice, Scarface, Jazzy Jeff, Jazzy Joyce, Spinderella, DST, Afrika Bambaataa, Mr Mixx, Dr.Dre, Eminem, David Banner, The Legendary Traxter, Pimp C, Cold 187, Kay-Gee, EPMD, Ced Gee, Scott LaRock, DJ Yella, DJ Train, Uncle Al, Outkast, Organized Noize, T-Mixx, Eric B, Scott Storch, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, Buckwild, Rockwilder, Timbaland, Missy Elliot, DeVante Swing, Teddy Riley, Ant Banks, EA-Ski & CMT, Warren G, Cut Creator, Battlecat, Julio G
[Edited 4/11/09 11:07am]

Lammastide said:

Nah, it's never too late go for. I would recommend taking lessons...I found it got me were I wanted to go much quicker, kept my frustration down, and kept me disciplined. At our age life job, significant other or maybe a child can be make you think you don't have the time to carve out 30 or 60 minutes once a week for lessons and half/hour a day for practice.

I took lessons twice a week on Tue. and Thurs. for 30 to 60 minutes respectively for 3 years. If I ran into a problems (and I did) I knew by my next lesson or within 4 days and he could help me out. Many people get frustrated earlier and quite because it's just ain't easy, it takes time. After my three years I made a turn ( as he said I would) were I was not longer hacked up a song, my playing became fluid, and I didn't need his instruction as much. I see him once a month for an hour now.. trying to get a better understand of alternative tunings.

Just make sure you get a teacher that's into the kind of music you like to play. Most good teachers (will go into music theory as deep as you want) will give you the basics and hand you a song to learn at your first lesson, my did: Blues in A. The plethora of guitar instructional DVDs could be an option as well. Good luck.

diamondpearl1 said:

Cool list. I know this but the org generally doesn't respect it.

although i don't play anymore (since i was a kid) i always loved the sound of a piano/keyboard. no one really influenced me there. But with writing- sting, prince, sylvia plath, ginsberg among others.

with singing ( when i used 2) it was mariah, whitney
[Edited 4/11/09 17:45pm]

Oddly enough neither of my parents played anything except the radio. I started playing piano when I was about 6. never had lessons, I just picked around and found what sounded good. I took violin, cello and harp during school, and obviously learned to read music. I can play a bit of drums, and most any keyboard. I never have picked up a guitar...YET. But I plan to soon.

I learned to read music while playing the violin, but never while playing piano, so to sit and play music note for note from a piano book is beyond me. But I think like anyone who plays, they read the chords, pick up the melody, and work around that, making up your own arrangement.

For some reason, whenever I sit at a piano to warm up, the first thing I play is "The Arms of Orion".

As far as a muse, I have many. Prince, Maxwell, George Michael, Madonna, anything funky from the old days. I can play any song of mine and tell you exactly who I was thinking of when I wrote it. I even sampled "Batdance" in one song called "Free". I used a deeper voice alternation on my voice in a couple of songs, kind of opposite of a Camille thing. I never named that voice or personality, but he's sassy. I don't really sing, but I do well enough to put a vocal on a demo. I have music on my Last.FM artist page.

I think God really is my muse, because no one in my family has any talent like that, but I ended up with all of it. I never forget it's a gift.
[Edited 4/12/09 0:35am]

My father first and foremost. I grew up around synths and keyboards, and he played in a funk band. His favorite artist is Stevie Wonder and his band Earth Wind and Fire so that passed on to me also. I was always curious and when I was five I started playing along christmas songs on the keyboard myself. Stevie inspired me to take up the Harmonica and I was always dancing to Michael Jackson. So after my father, Mike and Stevie. (Prince came a little later) then today I'm inspired by a lot of the great artists, especially from the 70s and 80s.

Good question. As a kid, most of all my friends played instruments and we all took lessons and learned from each other. And I had a cool crossbreed of everything from jazz to funk to rock/metal to 80's hip-hop and everything else.

That's one of the greatest things about being a musician because you never stop learning. There's always new chords to learn or a new scale to play.

ernestsewell (I like your avatar by the way) and Lammastide, by all means learn how to play the guitar. It's never too late and it's fun. I started playing keyboards late in the game (11 years ago) and now I play keys in my band. Thought it would never happen. Just keep reaching.