So for the past month or so, I’ve been a proud owner of a used turntable (That’s a record player for those out of the know). It all starts with a class called “History of Rock” that I’m taking during my last semester at UNCG. We’ve been going through the ages of rock and discussing different artists/bands and the influence they had on the music industry. Through the attendance of this class, I have had an increasing interest and appreciation for older music. This, matched with my love for gadgets, lead me to a local used book store looking at vinyl records. I actually ended up purchasing my first record (Led Zeppelin’s first album) with the intention of listening to it when I got a chance to visit my parents house. Somewhere in between all of this I was looking online for a used record player for myself. I couldn’t help put feel excited when I saw a used table on craigslist for sale. I made a phone call, asked a few questions, and it was mine. although dated technology, it was still really cool to experience something new that I never grew up with. This is all great and all but its not what I really wanted to write about.
Listening to records has been turning into something so much bigger than just dropping that needle and listening to some tunes. I feel like there is a whole new culture that goes along with searching for used/records, learning about stereo gear, and discussing bands that have mostly come to pass.
I’ve had some great opportunities to sit down and learn something about my parents that I had never learned before. One weekend while I was visiting, we pulled out their old albums and just sat and listened for couple of hours. It was cool listening to my parents talk about their favorite music and how they couldn’t stand each others differing tastes. My dad listened to bands like The Doobie Brothers, Three Dog Night, and Pink Floyd while my mom listened to Abba, Michael Jackson, and The Carpenters. I also learned about the progression of the technology of turntables and stereo gear. Let me just say that we have come a long way since then but don’t underestimate the brilliance of tech that isn’t used anymore. But the real thing I’m trying to communicate is that I’m now able to relate to my parents in a new way as well as people of an older generation.
I’ve also been searching around for stores that actually still sell records. Believe it or not, there is a place over on High Point rd in Greensboro that has hundreds and hundreds of records. If you’re looking for something in particular, you’re probably gonna find it as “Remember When.” I won’t claim that they have everything (who does) but they have a lot. This brings me to another point. I’m learning that people who are still in the business of listening to records are really helpful and friendly. They probably think its cool that someone from a different generation appreciates something from their own. Even the guy that sold me the turntable seemed to be happy that it was going to see some use by a college student. Edward McKays also sells records but its a little more hit and miss looking through their selection. Great prices though.
I fell like I’m rambling a little so I’ll tie it up. I was speaking to my father about what purchasing music was like in his day (the 70s) and what he said was rather interesting. Not many people owned a turntable at his age. In fact, he was the only guy in his group of friends that owned one. He would invite people over just to come listen to it. Radio still existed but being able to listen to a song when you wanted to hear it was almost a little rare. Listening to a record was more like an event, such as sitting down to watch a movie or playing a board game. It had to be roughly scheduled. Think about today’s world. Music is personal. Everyone has an mp3 player and everyone uses headphones. How often do people say “Hey I got a new CD, come over and lets listen to it together”? Plenty of things to point out. Most people don’t buy CDs anymore, most people don’t buy full albums anymore, and most people will say “I got this new song, you should buy it and check it out” or they will burn you a copy at the very least. The only time we actually look at music as a communal experience is either in church or at a concert.
Here is what I’m proposing. I would love to sort of reinvent the idea of music being a communal experience. I’m planning on having Vinyl listening partys where friends can come over, hang out, listen to music, and drink coffee, etc. Nothing is set in stone yet. I’m just generating ideas and trying to gain peoples interest. Who knows, maybe I can interest others into the idea of purchasing vinyl and keep an old technology alive.
