Nice think-piece, Andy, and like everyone here, it got me to thinking! Here goes! I've been in'n'out, I'd say! All through elementary school (1960-1966, which was a small parochial Lutheran school attached to a church), I was happy-go-lucky, outgoing, and played accordion instead of Little League (which my brother played). Mom was the most popular in our 5th and 6th grade rotating "parent-joins-us-for-lunch" Fridays (as the class would listen to Paul Harvey on the radio....."Good DAY")!
When I hit my large junior high ('67-'69), I completely withdrew....yes, having a lot to do with the huge, new public school surroundings, but also as puberty saw fit to make me fat and sprout acne! Thankfully, Mom took me to a dermatologist, but the weekly poking and UV box sessions made me feel like a full-on geek'n'freak! Naturally, the ladies avoided this new 7th grade "Elephant Man" ("I am NOT an animal.....I'm a junior higher!"), and, why did Seth Brown suddenly seem interesting...and, what on earth would make him nod in my general direction (did he just say, "hi"?) when we passed in the hallway, when I was invisible to everyone else?
You know the story from here, Andy....I'd get home, and surround myself with my real friends in my bedroom...my very vinyl vuddies! Finally, the reason Dad was in radio, and had been bringing home promos since I was 10 in '65 (hello, Beatles)! These cardboard enshrouded friends would never let me down (nor did they....ever). That's how "this" all started...Listening...and reading: the liner notes and the magazines.
It got better in high school....it pretty much HAD to! Became Music Editor of our daily mimeographed "Three Penny Press," and was lead singer/flutist for Brimstone (a story I've told, FR&B...you read it last summer as an exclusive to paid subbies), and felt no more at home than I did on stage! I think I felt that all that "prep" of listening to and learning about my heroes made me feel like the stage and performing was finally the home I was looking for! Later, that same feeling carried me through my late-'80s as a youth minister, and from '08-2012, teaching math and science to 4th and 5th graders: I commanded (not demanded) their attention, simply by exuding self-confidence, hard-earned.
Here's one for you, Andy: Picture it: Bellaire High School/Houston, 1972...Brimstone is actually playing for its students for an assembly, I guess. I had acquired a black cape, a top hat, a silver lame shirt (I had lost quite a bit of weight, and my long, blond hair was well down my back! Goodbye junior high!), and knee-high black leather boots (with stacked heels!), and wore all that, this day (with white face make-up and mascara...yeah, kinda doing my Alice Cooper thing)!
We killed, 'cause we'd have it no other way. As soon as I got offstage, I wiped off my make-up, changed back to my corduroys and flannel shirt school clothes, and within 10 minutes, I was sitting in the crowd (somebody else was doing something onstage), with nobody seemingly recognizing me! I loved that feeling of "Y'know that guy who was just up there singing and playing the flute like he owned the room? He's sitting right next to you!"
This is amazing, Brad! Thanks for sharing this beautiful story. This is a very interesting overview or biography of your life through the dynamics of introversion/extroversion, which gives an interesting and rare angle to the narrative. I love how you point out that you earned your self-confidence, and it is particularly important that you mention this, because this could be inspirational to whomever stumbles upon this page who might be struggling with their own self-confidence or generally with coming out of their shell. Your story, told from the very beginning, with all your adventures along the way, clearly shows how our experiences, interests and, crucially, our determination can help us shape our lives. How it is actually possible to become and achieve what we thought was unattainable. Thanks again!
I'd say I'm 90% introvert. I had a few years when it was 75% (college), but for the most part I thrive either alone or with one or two other people. I struggle with big concerts and even clubs on many a night because it drains me quickly, especially if there's a lot of waiting around for a performer to start.
Regarding records, I think I mentioned this to you before, but I see my collection as a photo album. I would never sell my photos or consider throwing them away. I look at my records and can recall how and when and where I acquired it, I know where it might skip, i know if it's a mint vinyl in a poor sleeve or cover. I can't remember most of my neighbors' names but I recall the stories behind my records.
Thank you, Steve! I don't mind crowds at a concert but I do struggle with busy roads and crowded trains/buses sometimes, particularly if I'm in a rush. I do struggle more and more with loud people though, especially as I get older.
Your photo album comparison is beautiful. I love the fact you remember the stories behind your records so vividly!
I have nothing to say other than that this is lovely. I'm always happiest when you write about the emotional experience of vinyl for you. I don't think there's near enough of that kind of writing about music in general. Music is meant to evoke emotion, after all, so it seems like there should be a lot more writing of it from that perspective.
Thank you so much, Faith. I really appreciate your comment, not only because of what you say, which is beautiful, but also because I respect you and your work so much. I know you never bullshit people, you always say what you mean, so this is particularly humbling. THANKS!!!
Hi Andres. Your write up made me think back to when I was in high school. I'd say I was semi-transparent back then; never the most popular kid but not completely off the grid either. My school had its share of cliques that were defined by style of clothing, mannerisms and (of course) musical taste. And I found it difficult to completely adhere to the culture of any one of them.
Music has always been my sanctuary and my constant since I was little. And the thought of suddenly dismissing any music because it didn't gel w/ what the other kids were into didn't work for me. To this day, I judge music not by its genre but by whether it moves me in some way. Whether it was records, tapes, CD's (and now records again), that sentiment was always reflected in my collection.
On a side note...as a huge Mariah fan, you'll be interested to know that her video for 'Someday' was filmed in my high school in NJ. I was a freshman at the time.
Thanks a lot for your comment, Chris. What you say about music resonates a lot with me, particularly the point you make of not thinking too much in terms of genres but, rather, whether the music moves you… whether it makes you feel something.
Crazy you went to the Someday high school! I must have watched that video a million times 🤣 so funny that I watched so obsessively on TV was actually a real place in your life. The world is too small! Thanks again!
Like you Andres, I consider myself to be both an introvert and extrovert. I'm probably more the former than the latter though. I also love to be alone with my music. It connects to something deep inside of me, whether that be emotions or memories. Don't ever give up your collection!
Daniel Pink has written about the benefits of being an "ambivert," and Scientific American published an article claiming most people fall in the middle of the introvert/extrovert scale.
I’ve definitely shifted over the years. Through almost all of my school years, elementary through college, I was 100% extrovert. In my mid teens to early 20s alcohol and drugs definitely played a part. Once I got sober I became more introverted. Unless and until I know you that is. Then, and quite often now, I was an extroverted introvert. Quite shy and retiring if I didn’t know you and later more demonstrative, at ease, funny and flamboyant once we become friends. Lately I’m finding myself getting a little more confident, extroverted and outgoing. But through it all, like you, music has been my safe place, my solace, and my sanity.
In all of the messiness (and peace) of my life, they are the constant. Not necessarily the individual titles, as some come and go, but the very thing itself; my records. I can't remember who it was, but someone who gained sudden popularity in the early aughts (it was someone like Lily Allen, but not—a flash in he pan hipster icon for a moment though) was asked in an interview why she wore a set of keys on a chain around her neck, and her reply was that with touring madness and sudden fame she saw them as a connection to her home, and as a reminder of where she had just been and would return once the ride was over.
I see my records similarly. Without the fame part. I had collections in two different countries for a long time, and they were very different—like viewing two different selves. I've only recently been able to join them together.
This is beautiful, Jamie. The analogy with the keys, as well as your personal story. Fascinating that you had two very different collections in two different countries. I’ve also had (still kind of have) records in two countries, but you can tell the collections are, in essence, one: just a bit scattered.
The fact yours were so different is very interesting because it was probably a reflection of different lives. Amazing you could put them together.
While both collections were reflective of my entire life’s musical journey, both seemed more reflective of the environment, and culture I was in: the one from when I was living in the grey wet northwest is sharp, and filled with a lot of brittle music, while the one that lived in the south, closer to the equator, feels a lot looser, laid back, maybe. Certainly they are are quite cohesive and I’m the only person who might see this, which is why I love my records; they’re like an understanding of myself.
Nice think-piece, Andy, and like everyone here, it got me to thinking! Here goes! I've been in'n'out, I'd say! All through elementary school (1960-1966, which was a small parochial Lutheran school attached to a church), I was happy-go-lucky, outgoing, and played accordion instead of Little League (which my brother played). Mom was the most popular in our 5th and 6th grade rotating "parent-joins-us-for-lunch" Fridays (as the class would listen to Paul Harvey on the radio....."Good DAY")!
When I hit my large junior high ('67-'69), I completely withdrew....yes, having a lot to do with the huge, new public school surroundings, but also as puberty saw fit to make me fat and sprout acne! Thankfully, Mom took me to a dermatologist, but the weekly poking and UV box sessions made me feel like a full-on geek'n'freak! Naturally, the ladies avoided this new 7th grade "Elephant Man" ("I am NOT an animal.....I'm a junior higher!"), and, why did Seth Brown suddenly seem interesting...and, what on earth would make him nod in my general direction (did he just say, "hi"?) when we passed in the hallway, when I was invisible to everyone else?
You know the story from here, Andy....I'd get home, and surround myself with my real friends in my bedroom...my very vinyl vuddies! Finally, the reason Dad was in radio, and had been bringing home promos since I was 10 in '65 (hello, Beatles)! These cardboard enshrouded friends would never let me down (nor did they....ever). That's how "this" all started...Listening...and reading: the liner notes and the magazines.
It got better in high school....it pretty much HAD to! Became Music Editor of our daily mimeographed "Three Penny Press," and was lead singer/flutist for Brimstone (a story I've told, FR&B...you read it last summer as an exclusive to paid subbies), and felt no more at home than I did on stage! I think I felt that all that "prep" of listening to and learning about my heroes made me feel like the stage and performing was finally the home I was looking for! Later, that same feeling carried me through my late-'80s as a youth minister, and from '08-2012, teaching math and science to 4th and 5th graders: I commanded (not demanded) their attention, simply by exuding self-confidence, hard-earned.
Here's one for you, Andy: Picture it: Bellaire High School/Houston, 1972...Brimstone is actually playing for its students for an assembly, I guess. I had acquired a black cape, a top hat, a silver lame shirt (I had lost quite a bit of weight, and my long, blond hair was well down my back! Goodbye junior high!), and knee-high black leather boots (with stacked heels!), and wore all that, this day (with white face make-up and mascara...yeah, kinda doing my Alice Cooper thing)!
We killed, 'cause we'd have it no other way. As soon as I got offstage, I wiped off my make-up, changed back to my corduroys and flannel shirt school clothes, and within 10 minutes, I was sitting in the crowd (somebody else was doing something onstage), with nobody seemingly recognizing me! I loved that feeling of "Y'know that guy who was just up there singing and playing the flute like he owned the room? He's sitting right next to you!"
Now, that's rock'n'roll!
This is amazing, Brad! Thanks for sharing this beautiful story. This is a very interesting overview or biography of your life through the dynamics of introversion/extroversion, which gives an interesting and rare angle to the narrative. I love how you point out that you earned your self-confidence, and it is particularly important that you mention this, because this could be inspirational to whomever stumbles upon this page who might be struggling with their own self-confidence or generally with coming out of their shell. Your story, told from the very beginning, with all your adventures along the way, clearly shows how our experiences, interests and, crucially, our determination can help us shape our lives. How it is actually possible to become and achieve what we thought was unattainable. Thanks again!
My pleasure, Andy.......thanks for the inspiration to "get it all out"!
I'd say I'm 90% introvert. I had a few years when it was 75% (college), but for the most part I thrive either alone or with one or two other people. I struggle with big concerts and even clubs on many a night because it drains me quickly, especially if there's a lot of waiting around for a performer to start.
Regarding records, I think I mentioned this to you before, but I see my collection as a photo album. I would never sell my photos or consider throwing them away. I look at my records and can recall how and when and where I acquired it, I know where it might skip, i know if it's a mint vinyl in a poor sleeve or cover. I can't remember most of my neighbors' names but I recall the stories behind my records.
Thank you, Steve! I don't mind crowds at a concert but I do struggle with busy roads and crowded trains/buses sometimes, particularly if I'm in a rush. I do struggle more and more with loud people though, especially as I get older.
Your photo album comparison is beautiful. I love the fact you remember the stories behind your records so vividly!
I have nothing to say other than that this is lovely. I'm always happiest when you write about the emotional experience of vinyl for you. I don't think there's near enough of that kind of writing about music in general. Music is meant to evoke emotion, after all, so it seems like there should be a lot more writing of it from that perspective.
Thank you so much, Faith. I really appreciate your comment, not only because of what you say, which is beautiful, but also because I respect you and your work so much. I know you never bullshit people, you always say what you mean, so this is particularly humbling. THANKS!!!
Hi Andres. Your write up made me think back to when I was in high school. I'd say I was semi-transparent back then; never the most popular kid but not completely off the grid either. My school had its share of cliques that were defined by style of clothing, mannerisms and (of course) musical taste. And I found it difficult to completely adhere to the culture of any one of them.
Music has always been my sanctuary and my constant since I was little. And the thought of suddenly dismissing any music because it didn't gel w/ what the other kids were into didn't work for me. To this day, I judge music not by its genre but by whether it moves me in some way. Whether it was records, tapes, CD's (and now records again), that sentiment was always reflected in my collection.
On a side note...as a huge Mariah fan, you'll be interested to know that her video for 'Someday' was filmed in my high school in NJ. I was a freshman at the time.
Thanks a lot for your comment, Chris. What you say about music resonates a lot with me, particularly the point you make of not thinking too much in terms of genres but, rather, whether the music moves you… whether it makes you feel something.
Crazy you went to the Someday high school! I must have watched that video a million times 🤣 so funny that I watched so obsessively on TV was actually a real place in your life. The world is too small! Thanks again!
Beautifully written Andy. And don’t matter about introvert or extravert. Just be you, that’s all that matters !
Thank you, Pe! Much appreciated ♥️
Like you Andres, I consider myself to be both an introvert and extrovert. I'm probably more the former than the latter though. I also love to be alone with my music. It connects to something deep inside of me, whether that be emotions or memories. Don't ever give up your collection!
Thank you, Dan! Cool to see I’m not alone with the whole introvert/extrovert thing. I’m probably more of an extrovert, though, but it fluctuates.
Absolutely: disconnecting from the world and reconnecting with our music (and ourselves) is so therapeutic. Thanks a lot for reading and stopping by!
Daniel Pink has written about the benefits of being an "ambivert," and Scientific American published an article claiming most people fall in the middle of the introvert/extrovert scale.
https://www.danpink.com/2013/01/why-it-pays-to-be-an-ambivert-and-why-you-probably-are-one/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/extrovert-or-introvert-most-people-are-actually-ambiverts/
Thank you, Matt! This is super interesting. Thanks again!
I’ve definitely shifted over the years. Through almost all of my school years, elementary through college, I was 100% extrovert. In my mid teens to early 20s alcohol and drugs definitely played a part. Once I got sober I became more introverted. Unless and until I know you that is. Then, and quite often now, I was an extroverted introvert. Quite shy and retiring if I didn’t know you and later more demonstrative, at ease, funny and flamboyant once we become friends. Lately I’m finding myself getting a little more confident, extroverted and outgoing. But through it all, like you, music has been my safe place, my solace, and my sanity.
Thank you, Mark! A lot of what you say resonates with me. Thanks for expressing it so eloquently. Music is definitely our saving grace!
In all of the messiness (and peace) of my life, they are the constant. Not necessarily the individual titles, as some come and go, but the very thing itself; my records. I can't remember who it was, but someone who gained sudden popularity in the early aughts (it was someone like Lily Allen, but not—a flash in he pan hipster icon for a moment though) was asked in an interview why she wore a set of keys on a chain around her neck, and her reply was that with touring madness and sudden fame she saw them as a connection to her home, and as a reminder of where she had just been and would return once the ride was over.
I see my records similarly. Without the fame part. I had collections in two different countries for a long time, and they were very different—like viewing two different selves. I've only recently been able to join them together.
This is beautiful, Jamie. The analogy with the keys, as well as your personal story. Fascinating that you had two very different collections in two different countries. I’ve also had (still kind of have) records in two countries, but you can tell the collections are, in essence, one: just a bit scattered.
The fact yours were so different is very interesting because it was probably a reflection of different lives. Amazing you could put them together.
Thanks again!
While both collections were reflective of my entire life’s musical journey, both seemed more reflective of the environment, and culture I was in: the one from when I was living in the grey wet northwest is sharp, and filled with a lot of brittle music, while the one that lived in the south, closer to the equator, feels a lot looser, laid back, maybe. Certainly they are are quite cohesive and I’m the only person who might see this, which is why I love my records; they’re like an understanding of myself.
Records as understanding of ourselves. This is everything!!! Thanks again.