Emily Ota | Writer
September 13, 2024
In 1890, records and the gramophone were the culture shock of the era. People could now play their favorite artists and albums in their homes. Our world has come a long way since 1890 in terms of music listening, so why are records still collected and used today?
Even with the development of digital music, record stores are doing better than ever. In San Clemente, there are two vinyl-selling stores downtown: Power Plant Records and Moldy Toes Records.
Teens and adults alike frequently shop at these locations to buy records, either to use or to collect. Biff Cooper, owner of Power Plant Records, explains that he started his business with a record store in the front and a music school in the back because he wanted to “expand record listening” to his students. Cooper added that he wanted his students to have the experience of walking through works of art on their way to the lesson, a ritual that has inspired so many past artists. Cooper shares that his love for records comes from their art and their collectibility.
Instead of listening to one or two digital songs, buying a record “proves that you love the whole album…and support the band in its entirety.” Cooper describes vinyl records as works of art rather than just simply music, and that purchasing a record appreciates the artist and the masterpiece they created. When it comes to Power Plant Records, Cooper says that it’s a mixed crowd of customers who come into the store. Cooper explains that about half of the customers are Boomers and Gen-X, who are the people who are not buying records to “be trendy” but instead because they have listened to them their whole lives. These groups are a big part of why the industry is still thriving, but newer generations are contributing as well.
While adults usually purchase records for the nostalgia of their youth, why do kids who grew up with downloadable music participate in the fun? When asked, Sophomore Keira Matta stated that she buys records because “they are fun to be able to collect and hear artists from something other than [her] phone.”
In this day in age, people, teenagers especially, are so reliant on their phones. The detachment from technology is a huge part of why Keira appreciates records. Like Cooper, Matta also compares records to art, saying that she likes how they “are not just for playing music but can also be…displayed as art.” In addition to using records for music, Keira shows off all her different vinyls in her room. She also prefers the volume range and sound of a record player because she can play her favorite albums louder or quieter than she could on her phone speakers. While Keira is a new record user, she values the business much the same as how original record lovers do.
When Biff Cooper was asked the question of why the record business has stayed alive, he presented the idea that “people are disenchanted with technology” and physical music is an escape from the grasp it has on people. He stated that “vinyl is organic music” and it disconnects people from the technological world we live in today, agreeing with Keira’s point.
From a younger perspective, Keira thinks that the record industry has lasted because there are “a lot of old souls out there who want to keep the old ways the same.” Even though newer generations are using old methods, the roots of the business stay within the people who grew up relying on physical music and still do today.
A well written article that explains the many reasons for continuing to collect records. Records give us access to richer worlds of music that we wouldn’t necessarily access on our phones.