Here in the United States, we are surrounded by a rich culture, one that has been influenced by the various types of people who live here now as well as those who have dwelled here in the past. Our culture, as a country, naturally relies on where it is we have come from, so we must be sure to keep it in mind as technology continues to develop. Being a young adult and growing up within a time where nearly everything is digitally produced and distributed, I have become curious of the past ways in which music has been enjoyed. In response to such curiosity I have begun a collection of my own vinyl albums, which I play on my turntable. Throughout history, the way that people have enjoyed music has evolved as technology has progressed. Music began listened to at a venue and only live; but once Thomas Edison developed the technology to record sounds and play them back, and after a few scientific errors, people were finally able to enjoy listening to music via vinyl records. Technology has continued to develop and brought us to where we are now - the latest trend of listening being streaming via Spotify or Apple Music. Vinyl albums are not seamless, but this is what makes them original and allows them to provide the experience that they do. Some people may argue that vinyl is only able to be successful for specific genres, which is a viable point, but my argument revolves around artists who intend for their albums to cohesively portray something beyond enjoyment. As the music industry has progressed throughout time, digital audio has shifted the ways in which people enjoy music; but the originality of vinyl records has persisted, and in my opinion, continues to offer the best musical experience when compared to the more technologically advanced listening methods. 

While some people may argue that music is merely a source of sensory pleasure, it is my personal belief that music acts as an emotional experience for any one person. Everyone has that one song that takes him or her back to a specific moment in time where life seemed beautiful – so when a person is sad, he/she is able to jump back to that happy moment via song. Music is linked strongly to the brain; science has proved that the brain will consciously link a moment to a specific song – proving that music is in fact a passionate mechanism. Not only is music meaningful to the audiences who listen, but also to the artist who creates it. The majority of the time, the music created by an artist will tell some sort of story – sometimes a story about love, growth, hatred, etc.; one that is of sentimental or emotional value to the artist. Stemming from the idea of music as an emotional aspect of art, music is also able to serve as a means of holistic treatment for people struggling with illnesses, mentally and physically. This is known as music therapy, a fairly new method of treatment seen within therapy.

In the early 1940’s, the profession of music therapy was a recently developed idea; not many people had heard of this sort of treatment quite yet. During this time the holistic realm of medicine was becoming a more prevalent and recommended way of treatment, as discoveries were being made of the usage of more natural treatments for illnesses. Once the National Association for Music Therapy was founded in 1950, the world of music therapy experienced a boom in practice. The music therapists of the time were utilizing “music education, singing groups, folk dancing, and rhythm activities to achieve various goals” (Alaine Hernandez). Music therapy has continued throughout history to be used for “self-expression, socialization, rehabilitation, psychological enrichment, and recreation”(Alaine Hernandez). While music therapy is a more recent discovery in the world of medicine, it is a very important technique that allows certain people to experience relief and aid. In an article about the results of music therapy, it is said that, “through the creative arts therapies, service members come to a better understanding of themselves and are able to express this in a way that can help them heal and help their caregivers understand their experiences” (Ronna Kaplan). This is evidence of the success of music therapy and the idea that music offers something beyond pure enjoyment. People of all ages with social disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress disorder, autism, and physical disabilities will be able to experience relief through experiencing music on a personal level.

It is vital for one to understand the importance of music culture, and understanding where it started and where it has brought us is the only method in accomplishing that. Experts believe that music initially emerged 30,000 to 60,000 years ago, but it wasn’t until 1877, when Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, that people were able to listen to any recorded sound. The phonograph was the first device that would record sound and play it back. This invention would completely revolutionize the way that people listened to music, as before this, people were only able to listen in person at a concert hall. The phonograph utilized a very detailed type of technology; sounds were “transmitted through a recording stylus, which would create indentations on a round phonograph cylinder, and a playback stylus could read the recording and play it back through a diaphragm and the iconic horn” (Dann Albright). The phonograph is the device that is most similar to a record player as seen today; it uses similar technology and accomplishes what the phonograph accomplished in 1877. During this same time, Edison invented what was known as an all-wax cylinder, which would record sounds; this can be seen as the “ultimate precursor” to the CD. In the late 1890’s the usages of flat-disc records became more prevalent - these records would be easily recognized as similar to vinyl records today. The discs were first released in 5-inch versions, then 7-inch, then 10-inch, and finally 12-inch; they were made of shellac at first, but after World War 2, vinyl was used as the material to produce these records. 

Due to the various of changes occurring in the music industry as time progresses, one will see that the popularity of technologies flows with time; meaning that as time progresses, there will always be a newer option that the people will demand. This is seen again and again, for example, after the newness of the technology behind record players began to dwindle, the music industry began seeing a shift towards radio. While radio technology had been around since the early 20th century, it wasn’t until a college radio station in San Jose began broadcasting music in 1912 to 1917 that the radio industry gained its popularity. After the First World War, the country began to see more radio stations making their debut. However, there was resistance – some people believed that radio should only be used for two-way communication. Once the results of the presidential election in October of 1920 were broadcasted via radio, a reported 60% of American families purchased radio receivers; this was only the start of the “golden age of radio” which lasted from 1920 to 1950. The next big boom seen in the music industry occurred in 1958, when RCA introduced the tape cartridge; this shifted the way that Americans consumed music. This was the first time that high-quality audio could be encoded onto a magnetic tape medium; but due to people’s distrust in the quality of it, it disappeared from shelves in 1964. In 1964, the 8-track tape dominated markets. This new technology allowed people to listen to music in their cars for the first time; this development was a landmark in the culture of music listening as people were beginning to view music as a way of decorating time. The portability of the 8-track tape created a new dimension to the ways in which people were able to enjoy music. While people were still slightly distrustful of the tapes, the invention of the Walkman in 1979 – a small transportable stereo tape player, pushed music listeners to accept tapes as a “viable home and personal music medium” (Dann Albright), and for the first time in history, cassettes outsold vinyl in 1983. As an extension of the portable nature of cassettes, the first CD’s appeared in the early 1980’s. Technology was developed for the first time that used lasers to read what had been encoded on the disc; CD’s dominated markets in the late 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s. Yet, in the midst of the digital audio world developing, diehard LP fans continued to praise vinyl. 

In a similar sense, as soon as the new technology behind radio and CD’s became timeworn, the next big invention that the industry saw was the introduction of the MP3. While the first technologies for this realm were first seen in 1982, it wasn’t until the late 1990’s that the extension .mp3 was being used. The market for the MP3 was highlighted on 2001 when Apple released the first version of iTunes, along with the first iPod. Other MP3 players have been released during the reign of Apple, but none of succeeded as well as Apple’s products have. Following the introduction of the iPod and iTunes is the first streaming system, Pandora. Pandora was released in 2005, and by April of 2013 it had over 200 million users. Pandora used technology to provide the listener with music according to the artist selected; this was the very first of it’s kind, and is significant because it is the first time that a service provided listeners with music that was similar to that which he/she enjoyed – it widened the listener’s taste in music. Streaming services such as Spotify, Sound Cloud, and YouTube were introduced around 2006 and have increased in popularity within recent years. 

Due to the extreme amount of music available to listeners at such a low price, artists and record labels have complained that these services have devalued their music. Because of this, services like Tidal, a streaming service that pays the highest percentage of royalties to music artists and songwriters, have made their way to the industry. Artists such as Jay-Z have been extremely supportive of these new services as they are attempting to bring value back to the music world. In a similar sense, Pete Townshend, lead guitarist from The Who, commented on the evils of iTunes, saying that "It would be better if music lovers treated music like food, and paid for every helping, rather than only when it suited them. Why can't music lovers just pay for music rather than steal it?” (phys.org). Not only has the digital age of music changed the way that listeners go about attaining the music and actually listening to it, but it has also changed the way that music is taught to children in the beginning of their lives. Since music is nearly all digital nowadays, music is introduced through a computer or some sort of technologically advanced listening device, rather than at a venue or through a record player like it had been in the past (Susan O’Neill). This aspect of change adds to the way that music is perceived as a culture; from a young age, children are first introduced to the digital means rather than the unconventional means of vinyl. 

It is obvious that the way people have enjoyed music has changed throughout time, but this is not something that many people think about. The distance by which technology has altered the way people listen to their favorite artists is massive. An article which talks about the history of vinyl, said - “The styles of music and the artists have changed, and a few refinements have improved their sound quality, most notably the introduction of stereo sound in the late 1950s, but the basic record has not” (Dann Albright). This is an important idea because it refers to the fact that yes, music styles and genres have changed as time has progressed, but the original experience coming from a vinyl record has remained as unique and interesting as it was when first invented. Although digital means of audio like CD’s, radio, iTunes, Spotify, and Pandora took over the scene for a while, vinyl records have recently seen a comeback. This retro way of listening to music has made its way to becoming a trend – causing the vinyl industry to see a large boom in production and consumption within the past five years. Billy Gibbons, American musician, songwriter, and actor, born in 1949, claims, “The rawness and the richness of music on vinyl almost went away, but it still seems to be on a lot of people's radar, and for good reason. It does something different than more accessible means of music playing, like MP3 players and downloads and whatnot.” Gibbons has recognized the fact that vinyl offers an experience that is unlike the experience that digital means offer, and he recognizes the idea that an increase in music accessibility is tied to a decrease in the appreciation of and ownership of music. 

The vinyl industry has seen a rise in consumption in the past few years, and an article about this claims that people are “fueled by that unique sound quality and a nostalgia wave” and as a result of this the sale of vinyl was up “32% to $416 million, their highest level since 1988, according to the RIAA.” (Chris Morris). Due to the increase in popularity of vinyl, it is now not only sold through independent record stores, but businesses such as Barnes & Noble and Urban Outfitters have begun selling vinyl albums as well as record players in order to reach all audiences desiring these materials. Not only is the recent resurgence of vinyl sales an impressive notion – but experts also say that they expect this increase to continue into the next few years. While some may that this recent increase is a natural resurgence, similar to the way that fashion trends go in and out of popularity, I believe that it is due to the idea that people are realizing the true value of vinyl records. Listeners have done all there is to do with digital audio and they have found themselves empty, yearning for a more solid sense of ownership/connection with their favorite artists, so they indulge into the vinyl world. Young music lovers, like myself, have reached the peak of digital production and have taken a step back, embracing the rich experience that vinyl provides. 

When listening to a vinyl album, you cannot press pause, skip a song, or switch between artists without actively becoming involved with the album. Music via vinyl records is presented as a full album; not a playlist, mix tape, or radio assortment. A similar adoration for the way in which music is presented via vinyl is seen through a quote by Norah Jones, American singer and songwriter; she claims, “I think it's important for people who love music to retain physical CDs or even vinyl, because it sounds so great and so much warmer than music over the Internet.” She too has seen that in the recent generation, people are missing out on the true meaning behind music when simply experiencing it in a digital sense. Being a young adult in today’s society, it is obvious that I was not around to see the time when vinyl was first introduced – so the history of this industry is an intriguing topic. There is an obvious reason for this increase in the desire for vinyl records; music lovers, young and old, are realizing that the digital means of experiencing music falls short when compared to the experience of vinyl. Vinyl offers a warm, original, and unique experience to an album, one that is more intimate and meaningful than listening via iTunes or Spotify. While the digital means of audio offer an easily accessible experience, vinyl gives people a moment that is patient with time and is not rushed to the next track, artist, or playlist. 

Those who argue against me may claim that only certain types of music work for vinyl, but this does not decrease the validity of my point. Some people will say my argument is invalid due to the fact that only specific genres of music will offer the experience described. While yes this is true, one may not desire to listen to dubstep tunes via vinyl records, this is not the type of music that is intended to be “experienced” as an album. The death of vinyl may be true in the sense that DJ’s no longer utilize vinyl to mix sets, “but as DJs are well aware, this recent surge in vinyl enthusiasm was driven far more by hipsters and audiophiles than EDM audience.” (Bernardo Alexander Attias) So, yes, I agree that within the realm of DJ culture, EDM, and dubstep culture, vinyl can been seen as “dead”; but I believe that vinyl is definitely more effective for certain artists – artists who intend their work to be listened to cohesively. Dubstep is more of a one song at a time type of thing – artists create it to be a trippy moment, rather than a cohesive album full of meaning. I think dubstep tunes itself into a different sort of experience; one would probably not put on an album by a dub step artist in hopes of gaining some sort of emotional “experience”. I am focusing more on artists who produce music with lyrics that tell a story – like J. Cole’s most recent album “4 Your Eyez Only”; if you listen to all ten tracks in order, you will see that he is telling a story through it. This is a part of the album that you miss if you don’t view the album as one cohesive work. 

Others in opposition to my stance will claim that the stationary nature of vinyl lessens the actual experience of it. While yes, the fact that you cannot carry around a turntable with ease while listening to an album may lessen the amount of time spent enjoying the music or the ease with which one plays the album, I believe that the stationary nature of vinyl actually increases the value of it. The ease with which one plugs in a pair of headphones into his or her iPhone will in fact cause the listener to pay less attention to the music and view it as merely background noise. A similar idea is reflected through a quote from Hua Hsu’s article “How to Listen to Music”. He writes that it is “quite possible that we have an even stronger attachment to music now that it is ubiquitous, woven into every moment of our lives, than we did then. But the age of the infinite playlist has also meant the proliferation of algorithms designed to give us exactly what makes us comfortable.”  Hua Hsu is correct when explaining that the availability of music has made people notice it more and pay attention to it, but he is also correct in saying that this limitless availability has caused people to stay within their musical comfort zone. When listening to an album via turntable, one is intentionally choosing to become involved with it on a much more intimate and focused way than simply plugging into a phone and using a streaming service on the go. Another way that one may argue the validity of digital audio over vinyl records would be the delicacy of vinyl. In an article about the history of vinyl, author Time Neely mentions the idea that “Because vinyl records can become scratched, warped and dirty, other formats slowly took over”. So, yes, this is an accurate statement regarding the reason for the introduction of other formats, but I believe that it is the delicacy of vinyl that makes it so valuable. Owners of vinyl recognize the fact that their albums could potentially become ruined if not taken care of properly, and following this they will pay special attention to the handling of them. 

Brett Milano, author of Vinyl Junkies: Adventures in Record Collecting travelled the United States in pursuit of the most die-hard vinyl fans, all in hopes of defining what exactly it meant to be a “vinyl junkie”. Adventures similar to this one are being completed across the globe due to people’s curiosity of the past rave of vinyl, hoping to make sense of the current resurgence. At the root of these adventures is the idea that music is a piece of culture by which every human is able to connect. While different parts of the world practice their own realm of music, music is a common ground for all of mankind. In fact, in his novel about record store norms, Gary Calamar reflects on the past culture of record stores, saying that they had “served as community centers, information exchanges, clubs, art galleries, and launching pads for numerous bands and record labels.” It is important to understand the history of music in order to understand the history of the world; this small section of history lends itself to a greater understanding of people as a whole. While the industry has seen an incredible amount of progress – some success and some failure, it has resulted in its own culture. Music culture allows people to create their own personality and encourages them to express themselves in their own way. As the music industry has progressed throughout time, digital audio has shifted the ways in which people enjoy music; but the originality of vinyl records has persisted; which is why, after tremendous research and meditation, it is my personal belief that vinyl continues to offer the best musical experience when compared to the more industrially innovative listening devices.
