Music's role in not just my community, but also my family, is one of unity. My dad and brother are both drummers, and whether it be at a festival, our local Fourth of July Jubilee, or a bar that I was definitely too young to be at, their talent has brought my family closer together. My dad started playing music in his high school marching band at a young age. By age 14, he was in Cincinnati playing in bars with college kids. He always talks about how he can’t fathom letting us go to Cincinnati by ourselves at that age, let alone a bar.

When my brother was younger, he looked up to my father and followed in his footsteps. He joined our middle school band and shockingly started on the saxophone. He quickly realized that it wasn’t for him, and made his way to percussion. My dad was no teacher; my brother had to figure it out himself, and to this day he still can’t read sheet music. After high school, my brother went off to college and missed playing the drums. He soon founded a band, and ever since they’ve been taking gigs, just like my dad did. As I said before, his band, Skeetercreek, plays at our community’s local Fourth of July Jubilee. Again, another instance of my brother following in my dad's footsteps – my dad's band used to play at the Jubilee.

Many of my childhood memories revolved around music. When my siblings and I were younger, and my dad was playing at a bar that wouldn’t let us come, we’d stay at my granny's house. Though we had a lot of fun at the bars that would let us come, some of our best memories were made at my granny’s house. Music brought us together in a lot of ways, and it continues to do so.

My dad, throughout the many years he played, circled through a handful of different bands. He was in a ska band called Kamiskaze, then he was in a band called Flashback, and the last band he was in was called Sundown. Early in Sundown’s career, they were a five-piece: my dad, Justin, Danny, Robby, and Red. They frequented a bar in Newport called Sis’s, and Nightmoves in Maysville. They played at other places, but these two were their regulars. People started to remember them and come just for them. Sadly, in 2015, they became a four-piece. “Big Red,” one of their bandmates, passed away due to cancer. Red was an inspiration to many, especially my dad and my brother. As an homage, Sundown would cover “Can’t You See” by the Marshall Tucker Band at the end of every show, since it was Red's favorite. My brother recently got his band to do the same, even if it's at the end of every show. Red left a lasting impression on my family, his bandmates, and his community.