My overall impression
Alex, you impressed me today. Sure your writing was tight, clever, and personal. And the delivery was clear and rich. And the stories were surprising in their depth and flavor. But, intentionally or not, you omitted something that was important to omit. You didn’t trot out the tired argument that vinyl LPs sound better than digital CDs. You showed us that the act of listening to music benefits from ritual. Taking a large disc from its cover, holding it mindfully between the tips of the fingers, aiming it deliberately over the spindle, placing the cartridge with care—there’s an ontological difference that surpasses “sound quality” as the sole metric for experiencing recorded music. By using a crate of cherished records, you brought out a central metaphor of the theater: we profit from certain forms and certain relationships. Your journey toward understanding your lifelong friendship was not only interesting it was embodied for us and with us. Thank you for that.
