janine cooper ayres: I Am My Father's Daughter

A few weeks ago I heard a song on our local radio station (KHTS) which pretty much weakened me to my core. It was like kryptonite for me. There's nothing worse than trying to drive when your eyes are full of tears, Not to mention it's not very safe! What was the song, you may ask? It's called My Father's Daughter. It's a new song, sung by Jewel and Dolly Parton, written by Jewel and Lisa Carver. (I've attached the link to the song below.)

If you've ever delved in to your ancestry, (and if not, I highly recommend it) you'll have a much larger scope and understanding of who you are. When I heard the lyrics below, many of the stories I learned about my ancestors came flooding back in an instant.

"I am the accumulation of the dreams of generations

And their stories live in me like holy water

I am my father's daughter..."

Yes, I am my father's daughter and I am also a third generation musician, with my musical roots extending not only from my father's side but my mother's too. My grandfather, Jack Cooper Sr. played saxophone and clarinet in Pennsylvania. In fact, music was his ticket out of the coal mines when he moved to Detroit, Michigan in the mid 1920's. His father worked in those mines for 30 years upon arriving to America from Poland. In 1930 my Great Grandfather died in a mining accident (along with his brother) when he was 60 years old. I can't even imagine how hard he worked and what his lungs must've looked like. How I wish I could thank him for his sacrifice. (I am truly standing on the shoulders of giants.)

My father began playing sax and clarinet when he was in his teens. In 1942, while my Dad was playing in his father's big band in Detroit, Pearl Harbor had just been attacked. My Dad enlisted as a musician and in doing so he was able to not only support the war effort but entertain the troops while he served in the Navy up in Kodiak, Alaska.

I never did get to meet my grandfather, let alone sit on his knee or go fishing with him. He died a few years before I was born. Shortly thereafter my father put away his saxophone for good. It was a sacrifice and no doubt, a painful one. In fact, I remember watching a big band with him at a casino about twenty years ago. While they played the classic song, In The Mood he had tears in his eyes. He told me once, that was one of his favorite songs to play. I'm pretty sure that he let go of his musical dream to live a more conventional life; to raise a family. He worked for nearly 35 years in an office job that left him feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. I think that's why the song lyric below pierced through my heart like an arrow when I heard it:

"I am my father's daughter

I have his eyes

I am the product of his sacrifice..."

Music has always been my salvation while simultaneously my frustration ever since I was a teenager. I wish we lived in a world that valued music more, making it more available to learn in schools, allowing more musicians to live more comfortably. Unfortunately, it is now even harder to make a career in the music industry; so much is given away for free on the internet now.

For this reason - not to mention my age, I am at times tempted to give up my music for good and settle back in to an office job. I should mention that I did give up my musical aspirations for about seven years, working in an office when I was in my mid-forties. But now I'm back to playing bass and guitar and writing songs (currently in a band called My Friend's Band). Some day I may be inspired to walk away from it all for good, but one thing will never change: I will always be my Father's Daughter!

Thank you, Dad for the gift of music you passed on to me. I will gratefully carry on this torch for as long as I'm physically able to.