Listen to This Radio Show

Folks, I am doing A Thing.

It's a podcast/something-that'll-turn-into-a-radio-show called Listen to This Radio Show.

It was originally called Listen to This, but there was already a podcast with that name on Spotify. So then I changed it to Listen to This Album, but then I realized I had set all of the emails to some variation of ListenToThisRadioShow@gmail.com, so that's the name now.

The idea behind it is to exalt my love of albums. Someone asked, Why albums? In the first episode, I respond thusly:

I rarely watch my work, but this time I watched the whole video and was pleased.

It's boring.

There's really nothing to it.

I place the needle on the album and disappear as we listen to a track while you watch the album go round and round, and then I say something funny, and then I might answer a teacher question, and then more music.

I mean, it's not rocket science.

But it is, though:

When was the last time you saw a Black woman in film or television completely relaxed, with no booze or pot in sight, and with no impending doom right around the corner?

I'll wait.

Um hm.

We are always depicted Doing Something Urgent.

There is always something to overcome or conquer or control or solve or escape from.

We are never relaxed in our study listening to Marsalis or Chopin or Bacharach.

So, if nothing else, that is revolutionary.

In addition to that, there's the sensory stimulation of the record player itself.

In order to play any album, first, a deliberate selection must be made.

You must then approach your record player.

You have to remove the album from its sleeve and place it carefully on the turntable.

Some machines let you push a button to allow the needle to settle on the vinyl; some, like mine, require you to do it manually, which calls for great care in order to avoid scratching the album.

There is a distinctive feel and sound when the needle meets the groove.

All of that is recorded during my program because it all matters.

In this digital age where you can get everything quickly, it’s nice to have a corner over here where folks can move slower, savor more, introspect at will.

So, it's boring if you're not into it, and that's 100% ok.

But if you are, then you get it, and you've got stories, and I want to know them all.