Father-daughter bond hits right note

Parents strive to find a shared interest with their children.

Terry Armstrong, 50, found a connection with his daughter Moira, 21, through their mutual love of classic rock. It not only fueled a lasting bond and seeing more than 280 acts (and counting), it also spawned a book.

Out next week is "Aerosmith to ZZ Top: A Dad & Daughter's Rock & Roll Journey," which chronicles many of their concert tales, but also delves into their lives and their relationship and how music is intertwined with those memories.

Terry Armstrong grew up in Warren, graduated from LaBrae High School and Kent State University, and has worked as a teacher, principal, superintendent and administrator in several area school districts. He currently is treasurer / chief financial officer for Boardman Local Schools and lives in Howland with his wife, Kim.

He grew up with the rock music of the '70s and '80s. His mother was only 14 years old when she gave birth, and his eventual stepfather was the same age.

"Having young parents, I listened to a lot of classic rock," Armstrong said. "Dad had me really hooked on it. … They were so young, it was almost like a big-brother, big-sister relationship."

Moira, a Howland High School graduate who will be a senior at Kent State majoring in English and U.S. history, heard plenty of music from her parents -- classic rock from dad and everything from '80s pop to country from her mom -- but it was rehearsing for a dance recital featuring the music of Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson that ignited her passion.

That dance background came in handy a few years later, when Moira and some other girls got to dance on stage with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band during "Dancing in the Dark" during a 2012 concert at Penn State University's arena.

"The first time we saw Bruce Springsteen definitely stands out," she said. "The first time you see any artist is so exciting."

Styx and REO Speedwagon at the Ohio State Fair in 2013 was another early favorite.

"Being really close to the stage and feeling the drums, it was amazing," she said.

They also left with a set of drum sticks that were thrown into the crowd, one of many mementoes they've collected along the way. Cheap Trick bass player Tom Peterssen gave them ear plugs when he saw them sitting directly in front of a wall of speakers. They've had their photos taken with Cheap Trick, the E Street Band's Steve Van Zandt and Joan Jett (who also autographed a pair of black Converse tennis shoes for Moira).

They've traveled as far as Florida to see a concert and have seen 59 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees perform live. While rock acts dominate, they've also seen Tony Bennett, Dolly Parton, Cher and several Southern Gospel Hall of Fame inductees as well. Terry has introduced Moira to many acts from his era, but she's introduced her father to contemporary acts like The Tallest Man on Earth.

"We're fortunate to live in the Mahoning Valley," Terry said. "We have stuff here, and you also can drive not too far and see a lot of different bands."

The idea for the book was inspired by "The Reading Promise," Alice Ozma's memoir about how her father read to her every night and the books they shared. Moira said her mom bought the book for them.

"It reminded us a lot of our relationship," she said.

With that many concerts, trying to remember everything would be difficult for most people, but Moira has been keeping a color-coded spreadsheet of all the shows they've seen, when and where they saw them and which acts have been inducted into different music-related halls of fame.

"I thought my wife was the most organized person I ever met," Terry said. "Then, when we started this process, Moira pulls out this spreadsheet."

Moira, who also has published a chapbook of her poetry, said it initially felt strange trying to write together.

"I write a lot being an English major and also being a creative writer, and it's not something that's a collaborative process," she said. "Not because he's my dad, but just having another person in my creative process was not something I've ever done before. I was a little nervous about that, but I think we worked really well together … I also learned a lot from his chapters."

Terry added, "I've had so much fun with Moira since she's been born. It was so much fun writing it and a lot of fun reliving it, especially during the pandemic when we couldn't go to shows."

The last concert they saw was Billy Joel at New York's Madison Square Garden in January 2020. They're not sure what the next concert will be. Terry hopes to be able to attend the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland on Oct. 30 (2021 inductees Foo Fighters are on his concert bucket list), but he's itching to see something sooner.

Moira is more apprehensive about returning to concert venues after more than a year of living in isolation. But once she's ready, she's not going to wait for bucket-list act to make her return.

"I don't have any super-set ideas," she said. "I'm open to whatever is around. If it's someone I know I like or a band I'm excited to see, I think it will be special. Over a year is the longest we've gone between concerts."