Vinyl listening, a once thriving form of music appreciation has been eclipsed by the rising acceleration of technology and the introduction of digital music. Despite this, the benefits of vinyl over digital are not to be scoffed at. There is still a market for vinyl, and there is good reason for this. Vinyl sounds better; music when stored and compressed into MP3 format often loses some sort of detail and quality. Music is also a great outlet for a unique social experience, and vinyl listening accentuates this experience.
Music Guild, which is a derivative of the Music department we have here at Eastern, hosts Vinyl Listening Sessions precisely as an illuminating social experience dedicated to bringing people closer together through music. The genesis of this idea was to raise money for the Music Guild, but digressed into being a time for relaxation and enjoyment among friends. The Eastern community is heralded as being a close-knit and amicable one.
“I think that listening to music together in a novel way really complements the atmosphere featured at Eastern,” said Olivia Ruth, a member of the Music Guild.
The regular Music Guild meetings occur every week on Fridays at 4 PM in Workman 101. However, the vinyl listening sessions only occur on the first Friday of each month. Food, including cookies and tea, are available and comes at the cost of only two dollars. All of the proceeds go towards Eastern’s Music department. Workman 101 is a quaint and lofty room and provides a perfect haven for these vinyl listening sessions. It facilitates connection and closeness with one another. Students are encouraged to bring pillows and blankets to these meetings. The first meeting featured the Walt Disney Mary Poppins Vinyl, the second the Sound of Music, and the third The Julie Andrews Christmas Spectacular. The choices of vinyl are selected from the vinyl collection in Workman, but there is an adherence to an underlying Julie Andrews theme.
As college students, it is hard to find a lapse in our busy schedules. We are often bogged down by stress and rigorous activity. Nevertheless, the Music Guild Listening Sessions serves as rejuvenating, friendly place for Eastern students to de-stress and get together with friends.