by Tyler Ruth ’16

In today’s digital world, listening to records seems like a thing of the past, or a thing that only hipsters do. I could open up iTunes and download whatever album I want, without the hassle of going to a record store.  But there is something about the physical experience of buying and listening to records that gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

When I walk into the Record Exchange in Silver Spring, I am greeted by a large room, which is full of large crates, organized alphabetically.  Some days I walk in with the purpose of acquiring a specific album, while on other days I will spend hours aimlessly flipping through records, judging albums by their cover and taking gambles by dropping money on albums without knowing if I will like them.  I will talk to others in the store and get recommendations on certain bands or albums.  With digital mediums, you lose the whole social aspect of buying music, and it becomes a lot harder to discover new artists, as you do not have to physically flip through hundreds of albums.  Instead, you can use the search bar and find that one new song you were dying to get.  

When you get the record and take it out of its sleeve, it is unlike anything else in the world.  The distinct smell of vinyl rushes through your nose, and you know that you are holding music in the palms of your hands.  Then comes my favorite part; laying the album on the turntable, pressing the spin button and dropping the needle.  Everything comes together for this one moment, where it is just you, your stereo and the sound of music.  The spick and speck of the dust being picked up by the needle adds a comforting feeling, along with the warm, rich-sound that vinyl produces.   
Buying records also means that you actually own your music.  With digital, there is no physical representation of your music.  You can say you own your music, but in actuality you just have bits of data that a company allows you to listen to, especially if you use streaming services like Spotify.  With records, you own a growing collection of music that you can feel and touch.  Some records in your collection can hold memories.  My latest album, “Something New, Something New” by The Beatles, will always be remembered as a great surprise gift from my friend Joan that she got on a trip to Seattle.  Also, since records are such an old technology, chances are good that your parents still have theirs. If you’re a fan of classic rock like me and my parents, that is a good sign you’ll start with a nice, hefty collection.