Music

While I was driving and listening to a podcast. This time, they were talking about music, and how music could remind us of moments, places, and good memories.
Honestly, yes…music brings back some good memories. A flashback to my college years, my friend and I were walking going to one of our least favorite class “Commercial Real Estate Law” we were listening to my iPod and singing along quite happily with our favorite singer, Celine Dion “Pour Que Tu M’aimes Encore”, then we noticed a group of boys looking in our direction, whispering to one another. We didn’t care, and we continued singing and walking. This song still reminds me of her. She lives in Paris now.
Another piece of music reminds me of someone I met a long time ago. My first year in the US I believe. I and he were in a coffee shop, maybe trying to know each other. So, he introduced me to his favorite music, classical music, I believe I didn’t know any one of them, and I felt so embarrassed that I didn’t make the best first impression. He faded away, I think I didn’t know how to steal his heart, and I didn’t make any impact on him…history.

“Claire De Lune” Debussy, is now my favorite, and some other classical music.

Speaking of records and record players. I started a new habit of collecting disc records. I found some disc records stores near me that I visit sometimes. However, I can’t find what I want. My sister gave me Elvis Presley’s collection she found in an antique store somewhere in New York. That was a special birthday gift.

When we listen to records, we need to know the history behind this incredible invention. I am not a historian, but at least I did some research.

The Phonograph 1877:

The story of sound recording, and reproduction began. Thomas Edison created many inventions, but his favorite was the phonograph. While working on improvements to the telegraph and the telephone, Edison figured out a way to record sound on tinfoil-coated cylinders. In 1877, he created a machine with two needles: one for recording and one for playback. When Edison spoke into the mouthpiece, the sound vibrations of his voice would be indented onto the cylinder by the recording needle. What do you think were the first words that Edison spoke into the phonograph?

“Mary had a little lamb” were the first words that Edison recorded on the phonograph and he was amazed when he heard the machine play them back to him. In 1878, Edison established the Edison Speaking Phonograph Company to sell the new machine. www.americaslibrary.gov

In 1917 when the U.S. became involved in World War I, the Edison Company created the Army and Navy Model in answer to a request for machines from the United States Army Depot Quartermaster in New York. The simple, basic machine sold for $60. The Department of War never purchased any, but individual units bought them, some taking them overseas. The Army and Navy Model was discontinued after the war’s end.

Disc Record 1888:

In 1888, a gentleman named Emile Berliner invented the flat disc record. These very first discs were produced of a vulcanized rubber and were between 12.5cm and 18cm in diameter.

Later, he discovered that a mixture of shellac (a secretion from the lac beetle) and slate dust produced an extremely hard wearing but very brittle surface and from this the 78rpm disc was developed. The slate dust was used because the older acoustic gramophones used steel needles with a pick-up weight of up to 200 grams and the slate helped grind the needle to fit the groove more closely. A modern record pick-up tracks at a recommended maximum of 7 grams. Most record players today can pick up a track at under 1 gram.

Between 1900 and 1960 the discs were usually 25 or 30cm across & gave between 2 and 5 minutes playing time each side. In the beginning sound was recorded with a horn attached to a diaphragm and stylus, which scratched out a trace in a rotating wax disc. This method lasted until 1925, when microphones became sufficiently developed to allow the recording of music.

Below is my Elvis collection. Enjoy!