“It’s as though I’m sitting there with the singer right in front of me and the band not far behind every time I put on vinyl. It’s my favorite part about the experience. I’ve always been drawn to the intimacy of holding the audio right there in your hands, waiting for it to start once you put the needle down, and then the feeling of joy that follows those first notes.”
“When I was 12 years old my grandparents gifted me the most beautiful vintage vinyl player. Made of soft wood and a tail of radio cables down the back (for the modern times then), it sat promptly in my bedroom growing up. I always thought there was something cool about the fact that this old, wise vintage player could be loaded up with records from ahead of its time. Nirvana, D’Angelo, Beyonce, and more. Similarly, I always figured it felt like home when I put on my favorite classics of Etta James, Nina Simone, Ottis Redding, Mahalia Jackson, Mozart, and more.
In such a digital age, we’ve come to select music by genre. Do you want upbeat 181 BPM pop today? Or only the latest in rap? That’s the first thing you see when you open Spotify (at least for me). Growing up, I loved such a wide range of music that was influenced by moments growing up. My sixth-grade crush looooved The Beatles and The Ramones, so I found as many records as I could and learned them all. Even went ahead and faux moshed at whatever shows we could get into.
On the bus, I’d belt along to Beyonce and Christina—pop icons of their time with melodies moving miles high and production of the 2000s. When I got home it didn’t matter what genre. I was just guided by what I felt and what I wanted to listen to in response to that feeling. There’s something really magical about that.
Most times, I’d take BART over to Berkeley and collect as many records from Amoeba and Rasputin Records as I could. These adventures typically included adding a secret piercing to an ear or two at the only place that would take minors across the street. All to say—listening to vinyl for me is a present activity where I can reminisce about the memories of how I got each vinyl in my collection, or I can listen to the breaths of Frank Sinatra live and imagine I’m in that room with him.
Vinyl motivated me to disregard genre barriers, and to dive deep in any direction. It was my path into soul music and Motown especially. It motivated me to listen to Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, and then check out Matishyahu because the cover art was so inspiring. I hope to keep this tradition alive and pass down my vinyl player when the time is right because those moments are truly priceless and more importantly ageless.”
—Anna Dellaria
Anna Dellaria’s new single, “At My Worst” is in stores now.
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