“I grew up on cassettes and grew into vinyl. We’d listen to classical music in the morning and Neil Young and Paul Simon at night. There were times when I thought of the classical morning hearkening as boot camp. Once I got a taste of the musical ’60s and ’70s, that’s all I wanted, and my impatience showed. But, as a classical violin student, homework came first.”
“My parents had gotten rid of their record player before I was born and replaced it with a Pioneer tape deck and receiver to match. I still remember my Dad saying, “Pioneer is a great brand. Lasts forever.”
I bought my first vinyl record fresh out of college. Neil Young—Hearts & Doves. I figured if I bought the record first, then I’d have to get a player, receiver, the whole bit. I found a vintage player and some speakers at a warehouse in Pittsburgh. The guy who sold it to me, Dan, had a serious range of options. I bought the Pioneer.
I love the physicality of vinyl—taking time with the artwork, digging into who played on which track. But the listening experience is why I think vinyl is standing the test of time. We’re all up in our phones all day, every day. Lots of people listen to music now the way they scroll through Instagram—jumping from track to track, maybe not even finishing a song before they jump to the next one. Even music lovers are guilty of this. Sadly, even me.
Vinyl has helped cool my impatience. When it’s record listening time, that’s it. We’re sitting down, listening straight through the A Side, with some time spent studying the art, lyrics and who’s playing. Maybe grab a drink, flip, B Side until the arm swings backward and clicks into place.
I’ve been told that with people’s attention spans as they are today, it would be a mistake to begin a side with the longest song on the album. Respectfully, I’ve got more faith in humanity’s convergence with the vinyl medium than that. “One Way Telephone” is the longest track on our new album. It also opens the B Side.”
—Christian Sedelmyer
10 String Symphony’s Generation Frustration arrives in stores on Friday, July 13, 2018—on vinyl.
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PHOTOS: GINA BINKLEY
