After 5: Talented musicians pass on passions to their children

David Cantrell says his son had it coming.

"He didn't stand a chance," says David Cantrell, co-owner of Cantrell-Barnes Printing Inc. "His first Christmas, he got a little drum set I built for him. He's always had drums to bang on."

Cantrell is a longtime rock musician who still plays drums at South Haven Baptist Church. His son, Brock, is the 12-year-old drummer in SuperCharge, one of the area's up-and-coming bands.

David Cantrell represents a group of area musicians who are passing their torches to their children.

For Joe Terry Sr. and his 20-year-old son, the musical passion was passed organically.

"Dad had a guitar laying around the house, and I just started fooling around with it," says Joe Terry Jr., who began playing five years ago.

The elder Terry, who works as a manager at Big Momma's Coffee on Commercial Street, is a self-taught keyboardist who has toured the U.S. and Europe with several critically acclaimed artists, including Robbie Fulks, Syd Straw and Dave Alvin. Terry's known to pass tips to his son, especially with songwriting.

"I can ask him about what to do, and why, or why something is working," says Joe Terry Jr., who is the singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist for The Tall Dark and Handsomes. "He's able to point out ideas, theorywise, I hadn't thought of."

The Painter puzzle

In the Painter household, daughter Katie Painter was the last piece of the puzzle, started by father Dave Painter.

Dave Painter has played guitar for several bands, including The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, and he teaches guitar from his studio at home, where his two daughters soak up the sounds.

"We've got a drum kit in Dad's studio," Katie Painter says, reflecting on her early interests. "Kim was learning the bass, and Dad is really good at guitar and my mom sings. So I thought it would be pretty cool if I completed a family puzzle."

Katie played violin at school but gravitated toward those drums at age 11. The newly formed family band, known as The Painters, played its first gig at an extended family get-together known as Carl Fest.

These days, Kim Painter is a vocal music major and recently toured Italy with the Missouri State University Concert Chorale. Katie Painter is studying medicine at Missouri State University but keeps the drums in mind as "something to fall back on."

While Dave Painter plays with The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Bluesberries, Steve Smith and the Sneakers, and The Fabulous Unexpected, the family band still knocks out a few songs whenever its patriarch is in town.

"For me, it's a privilege," Katie says. "I always enjoy it."

Super-charged Cantrells

David Cantrell acts as coach, manager and soundman for the preteens in SuperCharge.

They got together a year ago to play a school talent show, and the response was overwhelming. A woman in the crowd was so impressed, she offered the band a gig at a wedding reception.

"That's what got us to stick together," recalls Brock who began playing drums in earnest at age 8.

Recently, SuperCharge has played several birthday parties, a First Friday Art Walk show and a few high-profile public gigs - two on one day last month. The band played a morning show in the City Utilities parking lot following The Kitchen Inc.'s 18th annual 5K Fun Run and an evening nonalcohol show at downtown club Nathan P. Murphy's with other bands from Pellegrino's School of Music.

The younger Cantrell is optimistic about the band's future. "I know some bands just get together because they can play the instruments, but we're tight together because we're really good friends," he says. "We're going to continue no matter what."