By Frank “Smokin” Truat
Last week I made my yearly pilgrimage to the Jersey shore. This year, I didn’t listen to music on the beach as I usually do, even though I brought my well-traveled portable radio with me. The sound of the ocean and the seagulls became my soundtrack for the week. We all need to take time off and for me, being on the beach is my way to de-compress, to relax and put together plans for the rest of the year. A few people did bring their radios to the beach, and one family talked to the people next to them asking if they were playing the music too loud. Gone are the days of the boom boxes blasting the latest hits.
There’s something about being on the beach that is so soothing that you can do it all day and not get bored. That’s the opposite of sitting in a doctor’s office when that boredom takes place within 30 seconds as you reach for your cell phone to occupy your time. Music at the shore was very visible in restaurants, however, with many providing daily evening entertainment.
We ran into a couple from northern New Jersey and the conversation with the husband shifted into music, especially the music we grew up with in the 70’s. He also showed me a picture of the room that he dedicated in his home to display his guitar collection. This rather large room had about one hundred guitars and amplifiers all properly displayed as if in a museum. I asked him if he played, and he said a little bit. For him, it wasn’t about playing. He was always fascinated by the guitar and became a collector. That got me thinking about how music goes way beyond what we hear on the radio and what concerts we go to. For those that love music, the opportunity to bring a bit of it into our home can come in many different forms. Some people collect musical instruments, some collect records or compact discs, while others collect books and magazines highlighting the industry. All of this happens because of our love of music, no matter what genres we like. Those that go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame go there not to see the artists, but to see memorabilia associated with them.
A collection may never be used by the collector and may never even be touched, but when they walk into a room that defines their connection to the music industry, be it a rack of records, some posters on a wall, or an entire room full of guitars, they get that smile on their face every time. That’s the reach of music in our lives!
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