Sight and Sound have always been linked for me.

I’ve noticed that I listen to different types of music depending on the work I’m doing. I tend to listen to more upbeat music when I’m printing, typically latin influenced. It keeps me and the printing loose. I lean more toward classical, even minimalist classical when I’m sewing. I think it helps me stay calmer and more focused (less apt to seize up the bobbin).

While working on Elsie’s quilt this week it struck me odd, looking at the photo of Elsie and Gracie in the newspaper article I was working with, Elsie with her trusty AM radio in hand, how much time has sped up since the article was written. The article was from 1986. The Walkman, though not brand new, was still a novelty, and receiving a mixtape from a boy was a sign of true devotion. The best sound was still to be had on vinyl (and some say still is). CDs were around but considered by some to be suspect. Everyone was going through the pain of whether to rebuy everything in the new format.

Since then we’ve gone through Napster and various fits and starts trying to figure out the right format for downloading. Walkmans turned into iPods and then into iPhones and it has all finally led us to streaming. I now use mostly Pandora when I work. I like the surprise that the algorithm occasional throws at me. I also make a point of downloading whole albums (yes I still call them that…) off of iTunes or Bandcamp when I really like an artist to make sure that they are being supported.

Lest we think this is anything new, here are some pictures of an Edison Cylinder that belonged to my grandfather (he also swore by his reel to reel):

The tune on it is the Razzle Dazzle One Step by Lenzsberg’s Riverside Orchestra. On the side of the cylinder, under Mr. Edison’s fine visage is the following Notice:

No license whatsoever is granted to anyone to use the patented record for making duplicates, nor for any other purposes except the reproduction of sound upon an Edison Phonograph.

Sounds eerily familiar.