Are parents the unsung heroes of the music world?

Proctor & Gamble’s latest Olympic themed ad is sweeping across the internet. Its heart-tugging narrative charts a dedicated group of mothers supporting their children from beginner to gold medal winning athelete.
Check out the advert below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NScs_qX2Okk
Whilst the Olympic angle is as current, fresh and as obvious as anything else right now (what with the upcoming London 2012 games this summer) the video got the musicroom blog team wondering.
“The hardest job, is the best job. Thanks mum.”
Do musicians owe a similar debt of gratitude to their family and relatives?
Parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents are the unsung heroes of the music industry, often playing the roles of manager, agent, roadie, chief financier and lead cheerleader all at once, as required.
From marshalling after school practises to exhaustively attending every gig, no matter what the turn-out or venue, many musicians wouldn’t be where they are today without the sacrifices and effort of their parents and family.
Music can be an expensive hobby at any age but pocket money doesn’t cover the price of a first saxophone or digital piano – that early instrument will usually be paid for, or at least heavily subsidised, by an encouraging family member rather than the learner themselves.
Initiatives such as the government’s Wide Opportunies scheme and Take It Away music are on hand to help parents and children access music and purchase instruments, but often sacrifices are made by family members to cover the cost of facilitating and nurturing musical passion and talent.
Tutors and lessons add up too of course, as does the price of fuel when turning the family car into a makeshift tour bus – all the amps, gear and drum kit heroically crammed into the drummer’s dad’s hatchback, ready for the sardine-tin journey to soundcheck.
Their support is what makes playing, learning and performing possible for so many musicians.
Is it time we shone a light on the people who help to make it all possible?
What do you think? Who helped you on your road to musicianship?