What got me into music in the first place - Led Zeppelin
I was much younger and the only music I'd ever really hear was stuff my teenaged sister listened to (Blink 182, Sum 41). When my parents bought the Led Zeppelin box set I was probably 10 years of age. Started listening to that and slowly began to get more and more into it.
What pushed me into music - Nirvana
Easily the most beautiful, agonistic, music I had ever heard. Made me view music as a fine art, but much learning to do I had. I sort of skunked around in that early 90s grunge era until I discovered the Sex Pistols and hardcore punk. Through Nirvana I found the Pixies, and through them I was closer to enlightenment.
What got me into rap - The Notorious B.I.G
No matter how you look at it, Biggie Smalls was one heck of a rapper. Though I had previous disdain for hip-hop (thinking along the misinformed "it stole the spotlight from rawk" area), I tried some Biggie and zing... I was hooked. Now hip-hop music is easily my most listened to genre.
What got me into jazz - John Zorn
John Zorn's many projects encouraged my own eclectism, giving rise to my own revelation that I didn't have to be associated with any particular movement, style or scene. His often layered, erratic, distressed jazz sound spoke to both my hardcore punk, thrashing side and my more reserved, intellectual side.
Names to thank - Kurt Cobain and John Cage
John Cage's ideas and approach to music really challenged me to open my mind to things I had previously pushed away. As a result of this challenging, I now enjoy things that perhaps just a little over a year ago I would have never thought would be my thing. He also wrote very interesting and challenging works, and Cheap Imitation, a long with In a LanRABcape are my two favorite pieces ever composed for Piano.
And I say Kurt Cobain because without Nirvana, plain and simple I wouldn't be where I am today musically.
And now well here I am... not enlightened but certainly closer to it
You didn't ask for an auto-biography but I was having a really hard time picking one musician :laughing: