By Diva Taunia

40 years of living through recorded music!

I am fast approaching my 40th birthday, and for the most part, I’m pretty comfortable with it. Sure, there are a few lines on my face that I could do without, but overall, I like that character that shows when I look in the mirror. It reminds me of the life I’ve led, and the experiences I’ve lived through. Plus, I’m feeling more physically active and engaged in fitness than I ever did in my twenties, so turning 40 really can’t be all that bad, right?

I teach voice, which means that I am surrounded by young, fresh-faced singers all the time. Nothing makes me happier than watching my students explore their own voices and find their own sound. Sometimes, however, I have trouble connecting with them. They’ll talk about a new group or a new song and I just look at them with a vacant glaze because I have no idea who they are talking about. The only radio I listen to is NPR, and if I’m lucky, they’ll discuss a current music trend on “Wait..Wait! Don’t tell me!” Other than that, I’ll probably remain clueless.

I had a discussion with one of my students the other day, and I mentioned 8 tracks. She had no idea what I was talking about, and had that similar vacant glaze come across her face. And within one single moment, I realized that my life could be measured by the types of recorded music that I have lived through.

As a small child, I had a portable record player, fully equipped with a 45 spindle adapter so that I could play 33’s and 45’s. My parents had a small collection of Elvis, The Beatles, and some other oldies but goodies. I remember that the very first record that I owned was Journey’s Escape. I was so proud to have bought that with my own money, and I had memorized every single song on the album. I also got some Shaun Cassidy 45’s, and had a rockin’ baby blue roller skate jacket with his mug on the back. I was a very hip young little girl.

As I got to my pre-teen years, 8 tracks took over our house. My siblings and I would create song and dance productions to Barry Manilow, Donna Summer, and Linda Ronstadt. I remember thinking that Barry Manilow’s Greatest Hits was the best music I had ever heard. I was just annoyed that I couldn’t fast forward through the boring songs and get straight to Copacabana.

In the 80s, I became the Teen Queen of cassettes. Madonna was probably my first purchase, along with Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Gibson, New Edition, and the almighty Prince. I had them stacked and overflowing against my walls, in my drawers, everywhere. I even recorded my very first song on cassette tape! (I wish that I could find that now!)

As an adult, I was resistant to CDs because I loved my cassettes so much, but eventually the ease of use and streamlined design won me over. When I went to college, I think I may have bought approximately 100 CDS, half of which were Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. I would sit on the floor of my apartment and listen to them sing and study every note for HOURS. I still have almost every CD I’ve ever owned, and the massive size of my collection comes in second only to my shoes.

Of course, I eventually had to transition to MP3s and iTunes. I fought that for a long time too. I own an iPod shuffle, and that’s it. In fact, I rarely ever use it. I listen to most of my music online, and I’ll still take a CD out and pop it into the car when I’m driving. I do like the option to buy .99 songs from time to time, though, so I deal with it.

In forty years, I’ve lived through a whole timeline of recorded music: vinyl, 8 tracks, cassettes, CDs, MP3s, and iTunes and I like that I can define myself with a timeline of something that makes me so incredibly happy, and that I can continue to be part of with a moderate amount of success. Let’s just hope 8 tracks stay dead and buried, along with Barry Manilow’s Greatest Hits. But I’d kill for that Shawn Cassidy jacket again!