So we set out to search for a cheap little record player, and after coming up short upon scouring the local thrift stores, I found a nice one in a fellow Etsian’s vintage shop.
I sometimes decorate with album sleeves, so I already had a few records in my personal stash ready to go for a spin. The girls fell in love as soon as they set the needle and heard the Nonnberg Abbey nuns pondering just how to solve a problem like Maria.
While watching my girls spend all afternoon doing nothing but play record after record, I realized I was wrong to previously assume all proponents of vinyl are old-school purists. I now understand a big appeal of vinyl has little to do with digital vs. analog wars, purer sound quality, or the fact that a turntable and big stack of records in the corner of your living room just looks really, really cool. No, turntables are intriguing because they possess an interactive quality that other media players just don’t have.
Even a three year old can make all sorts of independent discoveries: She turns the volume all the way down and still hears the needle against the record without amplification. She notices the record only plays when it turns. She changes the speed from 33 to 45 rpms and considers the visual and auditory differences. She jumps up and down on the floor and the record skips. She rubs a limited edition Doris Day across the hardwood floor and discovers how she's created irremediable scratches which render the big black circle unplayable.Especially for a kinesthetic learner, the experience of playing records is gleefully enriching because it goes beyond pressing shuffle, bopping your head to the beat, and singing along. Immersed in the process of solving the mystery of "how does it work" by simple manipulation and observation, you’re no longer just listening to music, you’re PLAYING it.
