(04.16.2017) By Jared Martin — Morningside’s student voice will be overrun by the hiss and pop of vinyl records for a full 24 hours this month for the second annual Vinylthon.
Vinylthon is an event that will take place on Saturday, April 22, when the college’s radio station KMSC will play vinyl records for 24 hours straight, from 12 AM Saturday to 12 AM Sunday. This is the second year that the event will take place.
The event is sponsored by the College Radio Foundation, whose goal is to preserve the use of vinyl records in college radio stations.
“The idea of this Vinylthon makes sense because college radio is still probably the only remaining medium that regularly plays music on vinyl. A lot of college students still buy vinyl at record stores and then bring them to the studio to play them on the air,” says Dr. Rob Quicke of the College Radio Foundation on their website.
The event gives DJs an opportunity to dig into the history of popular music a little bit. “A lot of what we’ll be playing is older music from older collections,” says KMSC student engineer Zach Schoenecker, who is in charge of the event.
The event also utilizes a very different DJ experience than when using digital files. Vinyl requires a little more care. Finding a song on a record takes time and a careful hand.
Vinyl records have experienced a revival in pop culture as of late, as music listeners seek out a physical medium with, according to many vinyl listeners, higher sound quality.
Other listeners believe vinyl provides a welcome alternative to digital music. “I’ve always liked vinyl because it’s fun and different. It’s a unique sound,” Schoenecker says.
Anyone interested in participating in Vinylthon or lending a vinyl record for the event should talk to Joan Mansfield in the Dept. of Mass Communication or contact Zach Schoenecker about some basic training for the event at zts001@morningside.edu.
Otherwise, tune in on the 22nd to hear music the way it was recorded in the days before digital.
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