My musical taste includes an extremely wide-ranging array of selections so it is safe to say that I'm not necessarily tied to one particular genre. However, for the purpose of this assignment I would have to say that I have been more drawn to Jazz music for the greater part of my life. From the earliest days of grade school that I can remember, my dad would always pick my sister and i up at the end of the day only to be blasting jazz music in the car. On any given day, on our our way home we could be found listening to the likes of Najee, Gerald Albright, Sade, Kenny G, Boney James, Kim Waters, etc.
As the years went by and I grew older, I gained a greater appreciation for jazz. More specifically my love of the genre became more focused on the sub categories of smooth jazz, urban jazz, and quiet storm R&B. Those early influences of jazz that my dad exposed me to translated into my involvement in concert and marching bands as a saxophonist from the latter part of my middle schooling to the entirety of high school. It's hard to pinpoint what drew me to this type of music in the beginning. I like to think that the improvisation and sort of call and response that mimics blues are some of the things that garnered my attention. Additionally, as an African American adult I think my appreciation of the historical context through which jazz is sourced has continued to foster my love of this type of music.
In terms of how jazz specifically shaped my life I would say in general it set a sound foundation of discipline in my life. The structure that music provided in my life kept me on the straight and narrow and promoted education and a strong sense of camaraderie. The calming and mellowing effect that jazz has is just second to none.
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