Hi Rams! Welcome back to Behind the Music. Throughout history, many different mediums have been used to listen to people’s favorite tunes. From live performances to phonographs to cassette tapes, the way we listen to music evolves with time.
In the current digital age, we can access music wherever we go; the most prominent form of listening to music being streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. However, physical forms of music such as vinyl records have not completely died out.
Once a thing of the past, vinyl has once again become a sensation with the youth. Taking on fun shapes and colors, these “old school” records have become a fun addition to large and small collectors.
COMPASS senior Carissa Castaneda has a record player and buys vinyl. “I have old ones and they’re super cool to listen to,” she said.
Vinyl records are flat discs that store sound through grooves. This can be used to play full-length music albums as well as single songs. These records were most popular in the 1950s to the 1980s, but have now regained popularity.
According to Billboard, vinyl sales have increased for the 17th year straight. Over 43 million “vinyl albums were sold in 2022 (up 4.2% from 41.72 million in 2021),” writes Keith Caulfield, writer for Billboard. 48% of these records were bought in independent stores.
One appeal to buying vinyl is the community that surrounds it. Many small music stores still sell these records, giving others the opportunity to explore shops and meet new people there.
Long Beach has its fair share of small businesses that music lovers can explore. These include independent record stores such as Bagatelle Records, Dyzzy on Vynyl, and Fingerprints.
Vinyl records provide a gateway into a community of music lovers. Whether you’re browsing through a music store or sharing the most recent record you’ve listened to, vinyl is another music outlet that connects many.
Ethan Barnhart-Ross • Nov 29, 2023 at 1:01 pm
November 29, 2023
Dear Corydon Editor,
On November 3, 2023, Allyson Richter wrote an article titled “Behind the Music: Records Aren’t Dead”. This is a well written article that describes what vinyls are and why they are becoming popular once again. I liked how the article gives data such as the sales rising for the seventeenth year in a row to show the rise in popularity of them along with quotes from Millikan students that collect them. One thing I think the article would have benefited from mentioning is how vinyls capture more sound than digital does, making them sound better. Although this only matters if the song is recorded on vinyl originally (which most nowadays aren’t) it is still a reason some people choose vinyls over digital regardless of if they can actually tell the difference or not. I like how the article mentioned that part of the appeal of vinyls is the community of collectors that surrounds them. Although this article could have elaborated more on some things, it is still very well written and gives a brief explanation of what vinyls are and why people are still buying them.
Sincerely,
Ethan Barnhart-Ross
Lauren Cantwell • Nov 29, 2023 at 12:56 pm
November 29th, 2023
Dear Corydon Editor,
On November 3rd, 2023, Allyson Richard wrote an article titled “Behind the Music: Records Aren’t Dead”. Richard does a very good job and her introduction. She addresses the audience to make them feel more included. By adding context in the beginning of her article, it gives background knowledge to the readers. To prove that vinyls are still in style, she uses other people’s experiences to prove her argument that vinyls aren’t really dead.
One suggestion for the article is to add more reasons as to why the younger generation likes vinyls. Perhaps talk about the different designs put on vinyls or interview a collector who can describe why they like vinyls. Overall the article does a very good job at spiking the audience’s interest. It was written very formally and by including data it ties the article together.
The writing makes the audience is interesting and it flows very well. Richard does an amazing job wrapping the article up in the conclusion while leaving readers with an impacting feeling.
Sincerely,
Lauren Cantwell
Santino Garetto • Nov 29, 2023 at 11:14 am
I was surprised that, despite the availability and affordability of music nowadays, people are choosing to revisit the past with vinyl records. While records can be expensive and hard to come by, they definitely provide a unique perspective on music, similar to the effects of film in contrast to digital photography. The most notable aspect of film cameras is their capability of enduring time, since digital cameras quickly become obsolete as higher resolution and quality cameras are built year after year. Film cameras have no resolution limit, only the amount of grain found on film, meaning that their quality is difficult to surpass. An enhancement to this article would be the addition of further reasoning to explain the growing demand for vinyl records. What is driving the public to collect physical copies of music when digital forms are more accessible? I fail to see any benefit to vinyl to digital, so I presume their popularity is due to either being able to physically hold them or the authenticity that noise distortion brings. The impact that vinyl is having on the music industry must be quite beneficial as collections are able to spread to many enthusiasts. ”48% of these records were bought in independent stores.” This shows that vinyl record sales are supporting many individuals under ownership of vinyls. It pleases me to know that vinyl records are not dead because, like floppy discs and cassettes, they are historical preservations that document the technological and cultural developments of the world.
Daniel Flores • Nov 29, 2023 at 11:03 am
This article in my opinion was very well written due to the fact that it was able to list specific places where I would be able to get some vinyl of my own. I also enjoyed the addition of the statistics on how vinyl has become increasingly popular. The length of the article was also very convenient, limiting its length while still having a large amount of detail on the topic. After reading the article I was able to learn about how vinyl is making a recovery because of our youth even though we are in a digital age which causes us to have more access to a variety of things on our cell phones. I love the topic of the article because it brings publicity to the school allowing for more students to have the opportunity to support small businesses that sell vinyl. Great article, another piece of amazing work by Allyson Richter!
Harriet Jung • Nov 29, 2023 at 9:20 am
I love how she wrote about records in an informative way while still making us curious about this interesting, back from the dead culture. She perfectly mixed in evidence of the trend from outside sources such as Billboard with evidence from a Millikan student, Carissa Castaneda, so as to better connect the audience with the subject.
Allyson’s logical line of reasoning gave us better insight into the subject of vinyl records because she had smooth transitions from the idea that records had not died out to information about records and finally showcasing the brilliant culture that surrounds buying records and music stores. Since she told us what a record was—“Vinyl records are flat discs that store sound through grooves”, we were better able to understand why people like them as collector items or unique ways to listen to music. The visuals included in the article also helped give us a better idea of what records and their stores look like.
Lastly, does the trend of increased vinyl sales continue into 2023 or did it stop after 2022? Allyson did a great job in presenting the culture and background information on records! Her article made me more interested in them and helped me understand the trend of buying records when I hadn’t previously.
Mikaela Gan • Nov 29, 2023 at 9:20 am
Dear Corydon Editor,
On November 3, 2023, Allyson Richter wrote an article titled “Behind the Music: Records Aren’t Dead”. I really enjoyed how you got a seniors point of view on record players and vinyl. It shows that there are more people out in the school that uses record players and vinyl. I also enjoyed how you used facts in your article, that the vinyl sales have increased for the 17th year straight from 41.72 million in 2021 to over 43 million in 2022. My sister has a record player in the house but she doesn’t use it. Reading this article makes me want to take the record player out and play some music. I have been to a small music store once and the atmosphere and community there is great. Music is a way of connecting people and in these stores you can find many genres and artists that you like. I also appreciate that you added store suggestions. Giving these suggestions makes the reader want to visit and actually see what their small music stores are like. I also liked how you said music has evolved over time from vinyls and cassette tapes to music digitally and how even though people listen to music digitally now, there are still people who listen to music using record players and vinyl.
Sincerely,
Mikaela Kamakana Gan
Izabella Gonzalez • Nov 29, 2023 at 9:10 am
The article was extremely well written and was able to connect to the reader in many ways. One way this was achieved was by having a quote by someone familiar to us to show how people around us are still using old forms of music. I also found it really helpful how she defined to us what exactly a vinyl was and how it may be used which left no room for confusion if someone were unaware of what a vinyl was. Furthermore I found her use of sales statistics to be rather helpful in proving her point that many people still use and buy records. She then enlightened the readers on the appeal of purchasing vinyl records and music shops and ended with a few music shop recommendations which I found rather interesting and helpful. Although it would be interesting to know more about the independent stores she has listed.
Suzanna Gonzalez • Nov 29, 2023 at 9:09 am
I really enjoyed reading this article, since it informs us that more and more people are enjoying the “old school” versions of music. It really helps us realize that even though they may be considered old or outdated they can still be enjoyed by the people who discover their existence. I’ve never really listened to music in ways besides digitally, but recently I’ve been buying albums and they contain CDs, so when I decide to play those CDs, I realize just how different it is compared to going to Spotify or Apple Music. So I can understand why vinyl is becoming popular with the younger generation. I hope that in the future I can listen to music with vinyl or cassettes and get to enjoy it like how much my parents had before me. I hope I can read another interesting and informative article about music like this one.
Noah Perez • Nov 29, 2023 at 9:06 am
November 29, 2023
Dear Corydon Editor,
On November 3, 2023, Alison Richter wrote an article titled “Behind the Music: Records Aren’t Dead”. As someone who really enjoys traditional forms of music listening, and has a record player, I think this article sums up the listening experience very well. I’ve been to a few of the locations mentioned and they all have a very fun environment especially as an avid music listener. My favorite hobby is listening to music and finding ways to upgrade the sound quality to hear everything. Using impressive sound systems with the vinyl records I’ve either bought or found in my dad’s collection, is such an amazing experience and very worthwhile.
I really appreciate bringing other people into this medium of listening to music because it’s completely unique and gets a greater connection with the artist. I really like how the author tries to spread this medium so more people can enjoy listening to their favorite artists in new ways. It’s always a good feeling to give support directly to the artists that work really hard making the music. I agree with the sense of community that this way of listening comes with. Overall the experience is very refreshing and finding music listeners just as avid as myself is very fun. I get to connect with people and find new music which is something I really love and enjoy.
I really like how the author gave a well rounded and thought out explanation of fun experiences that listeners might enjoy about buying a vinyl, and the content that comes with it. My appreciation for artists everywhere has grown immensely the more I dive deep into music listening. Understanding the medium better has led me to an ever growing interest in music and I think spreading this hobby of mine can prove to be something many others can enjoy as well.
Sincerely,
Noah Perez