In this week’s episode of the ArtistWorks Music Series podcast, Grammy Award-winning musician and boundary-pushing harmonica player, Howard Levy sits down to interview two of his biggest musical influences—his parents. Together, Howard, his father Ira, and mother Arlene explore their family’s musical heritage. They discuss Ira’s passion for singing and career as a vocalist, the broadway musical Arlene wrote, the details of how they inspired Howard to pursue a life in music, and more. The show is available wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can listen here at ArtistWorks.

LEARN MORE: Want to learn how to play harmonica from a master musician like Howard Levy? Try a free harmonica lesson now!

Music and the passion to pursue this amazing art form is often a gift that is passed down directly from one generation to the next. It is many times an element that unifies families, and the act of sharing musical knowledge and the beauties of music connects parents and their children. This was certainly the case for Howard Levy, who grew up in a household surrounded by music.

“I remember as a kid that you and mom would have these musical parties, and various friends would come over to play music and perform,” Howard says to his father. “Some friends played the piano, some played violin, but everyone would gather around the piano that was in our living room and sing. I was a little kid at the time, and I just remember being drawn to the music like a moth to a flame.”

Both Ira and Arlene Levy, who are now 98 and 95 years old respectively, spent much of their lives pursuing musical endeavors and exploring various vocal and instrumental outlets. Ira had an early career as a professional vocalist in New York, and Arlene is a cellist and wrote the lyrics for a Broadway musical.

“My good friend, Lillian Krugman, and I wrote the lyrics to a Broadway musical when you were a kid,” Arlene explains to Howard. “Our neighbor across the street at the time was the business manager to some major Broadway stars at the time, and he got us connected. A wonderfully talented french woman wrote the music, but Lillian and I wrote the lyrics.”

To learn more about the lives of Ira, Arlene, and Howard Levy, and the experiences of their musical family, listen to the full podcast here:

If you’re interested in studying the harmonica and learning more about Howard’s approaches to growing as a musician, check out his online harmonica lessons right here at ArtistWorks!

ABOUT THE ARTISTWORKS MUSIC SERIES:

On the ArtistWorks Music Series, co-founder Patricia Butler speaks with master musicians across all genres who teach at ArtistWorks. Join them as they dive deep into topics like becoming a musician, playing at all skill levels, and the journey of learning music.

Looking to dive into more music podcasts? You’ve come to the right place. Investigate previous episodes where plenty of topics are explored with fantastic, hand-selected, and knowledgeable guests.

Want to get started on overcoming the roadblock on your musical journey with our online music lessons? Try out some free sample music lessons with any of our master musicians and learn from the best!

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