Physical media, such as vinyl records, CDs, and even cassette tapes, are making a comeback at WHS. Some faculty are returning to media from their pasts, while students are discovering formats that were popular with prior generations.
Students enjoy the look and general feel of retro media, especially when it comes to vinyl music albums.
“I think they look really sleek and classy, and it’s crazy to think that they produce music,” said freshman Jimmy Polymeros.
In addition to appreciating the aesthetics of albums, for others the appeal of vinyl also comes from the sound system needed to play them.
“I like the speakers, and it’s cool collecting them and hanging them up,” said sophomore Emma Wagner.
Vinyl in particular produces a unique sound, and some prefer that over listening to music digitally given the compression of the range of sounds required to create digital versions of recordings..
“There’s definitely a sound difference that takes some time to notice, but you do notice it eventually and it’s nice to hear the raw and uncompressed version of the music,” said junior Oliver Levitt.
Teachers also enjoy listening to music on vinyl, and for some the pleasure relates to how it ties into their pasts.
“Playing a record player at home is somewhat nostalgic, and it’s a whole journey back in time,” said technology integration specialist Michael Sanford. “I get transported to a simpler time, and the music, every note of the music, is something that is tied to an emotion that I have.”
Music often causes people to reminisce on past memories, especially through the signature sound of vintage music.
“My parents had a vinyl collection, and so a lot of their holiday music was on vinyl,” said guidance department head Karen Botcheller. “So sometimes I hear holiday songs on the radio and it’ll bring me back to the [sound of the] record skipping.”
Another aspect of retro media that many find appealing is the artwork created for their covers.
“I really liked going into a music store, looking through the music, and looking at the cover arts,” said world language department head Kathleen Baker.
Despite some students’ love of physical media, others prefer to access music digitally, largely due to the convenience and practicality of digital media.
“I normally listen to music when I’m on the bus or going somewhere, but I can’t really bring a vinyl with me,” said freshman Evangelina Lemay.
Students who have jobs or hold positions that relate to digital media also see the benefits of it.
“I’ve DJ’d weddings on vinyl and digitally,” said senior Oren Waxman, who prefers the digital option. “[With] vinyl you’re carrying 100 pounds of vinyl to your gig.”
Even though retro media has become more popular, the inability to listen to a range of different artists at one time, as is possible with services like Spotify, Apple Music, or Soundcloud, discourages some music lovers.
“If you only like one song from the album, you have to get the whole entire thing [on vinyl]. But for a phone, I don’t have to do that; I can just add one song,” said Lemay.
Ironically, for some people these challenges of dealing with physical media may be part of the appeal.
“I think some people are more interested in retro music because it’s not as easy,” said Baker. “You need all the items that go with a record player or CD player. You need the equipment, and it’s exciting.”
Those who recall the original shift away from physical media have theories about why that change occurred.
“I think it was because of the price and availability of music. You used to have to buy an entire album of 14 songs, and when I was your age, it was going to [cost] around $20,” said Sanford. “Your friends would get together to buy you a record, because it was so cool. But then [with digital options], you could buy one song for one dollar.”
Although some students and teachers are invested in vinyl, vintage media also includes CDs and cassette tapes that were once popular.
“I remember having cassette tapes and having a really big collection of them when I was young,” said Botcheller. “I can also picture myself putting CDs into my CD changer to have those songs available to me in high school.”
Since 2022 vinyl sales have surpassed CDs as the most popular, physical form of music ownership, according to taylor.com, but the cost of albums as compared to CDs is still a consideration for some at WHS.
“I will say it is very expensive. It’s definitely something that once you get into, it’s difficult to get out of,” said Levitt. “I would recommend starting with CDs because those are a lot cheaper.”
Regardless of differing opinions on physical and digital media, music ownership that enables people to share the listening experience is a common draw across all platforms.
“I think music is a community thing,” said Wagner.
