I grew up surrounded by music. It filled up every corner of the house, whether it was on the stereo, TV, or even someone playing. The music was usually some well known classical piece, but in rare occasions there were some old Japanese folk song, or even some children's song playing.
The children's songs sounded like any other song a child would sing in their early years in the US, but the traditional folk songs were a bit different. I remember when I listened to one of the pieces there was some kind of strange instrument playing in the background. I learned that it was a shakuhachi (Or bamboo flute) and I decided I wanted to play it. Of course there was no way my family could get our hands on such an instrument or get me lessons, so that's probably one of my reasons to take flute in middle school.
I started digging through the cassettes in my house and found many Japanese music. The music ranged from monk prayer song to instrumental pieces for traditional instruments. Each genre of music I heard were very different. I didn't even know that the monk prayer song was actually a song until my father told me. The “song” sounded like chanting and people murmuring, with an occasionally ringing of a small bell which went on for quite a while. It didn't sound a least bit musical at all, but my father told me how the prayer itself was sung in a certain rhythm and tempo to help the monk or person remember the whole prayer easier.
Compared to the prayer song the instrumental pieces were much more musical sounding and familiar to me. The instrumental pieces varied from solo to ensemble performances, and the instruments ranged from a relaxing sound of a plucking shamisen to the polyrythmic taiko beating.
The influence of Japanese music on me didn't stop there. When my family started getting Japanese channels on TV, they started watching this weekly show where well-known Japanese singers were invited to perform. The music ranged from rock to classical, but one stood out the most. It was enka, Japanese style of singing which is still mysterious to me. I am really not sure how to describe this style. At first it just sounded really wavy with lots of vibrato, but now I find the style rich in tone and colors. Its a style that I still can't imagine how the singers sing like that, but is something I enjoy listening to even today.
Although Western music is something I enjoy more, I can say for sure that the music I listened to growing up has had a profound effect on my life. It has given me a more broad view of different styles, and instruments that musicians can work from.
