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Editor's Viewpoint
By Steven R. Rochlin
Click here to e-mail reviewer'Tis good; though music oft hath such a charm.
Shakespeare's Measure for Measure Act 4, Scene 1
Each of us have our own story as
to why we have come into this hobby. For it is within our heart and soul that music
resides in. For me it all began with my father's love of music and enjoying the fruits of
his journey into finding better ways to reproduce it. Of course magazines such as
Audio came into the house from time to time too. This was way back in the very early
70's. Dad took our family to many great live concerts during my childhood. It all hit
me one day when we all went to hear an outdoor concert of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
play 1812. Instead of cannons they used live basting caps! (Click
here for the music) Even at the ripe old age of six i can still remember how the music
itself was very dramatic. The orchestra would dynamically rise and fall multiple
times. It was as though they were teasing me! Finally they built up to an almost
full climax until... When it was finally time for the grand finale the climax was
huge! Then to my surprise came the "cannon" blasts. This was awe
inspiring. Even now as i type this tears fill my eyes as this one event has changed
my life forever for the better in my humble opinion. You could say this was my very
first eargasm. Do you remember your first time? Please sit back and enjoy the remainder of
the music clip and then continue reading.
Amazing how one event in your life can drastically change many of the following events to come. So now a conscience decision was made to find better ways to reproduce music. Not just reproduce it either! i should also let you know i began playing drums in 1975 at the age of nine (later followed by joining various bands, recording studio time, etc). After all, music was fun so why not explore producing it for myself with other musicians? Seen below is my First Division Band Course certificate earned in 1976. This was just one of the many awards earned in the years to some.
Getting back to the reproduction side of things, virtually every job in my life centered around electronics and music beginning with good ol' Heathkit Electronics! Years later i somehow came upon this magazine called Stereophile in the late 80's. It was fascinating to learn about all this high-performance audio equipment. Some of which i had not heard about before. Various "audiophile lingo" was over my head back then, yet as time went by i eventually subscribed for a few years and became more familiar with words like soundstage, imaging, microdynamics, etc. Not only with the lingo, but with better ways to enhance my musical pleasures too! Cheap tweaks, new technology, room acoustics... There was much to learn! During this time a friend lent me a copy of The Abso!ute Sound. While the reading it, even to this day, seems quite tedious (vocabulary is not my forte in life). Eventually there came a need to learn even more which these magazines could not fill. The study of room acoustics for example. Ah, the thirst for knowledge!
As we
fast-forward to today there is the internet. An amazingly fast form of communication where
vast amounts of human knowledge travel all around the world! And all virtually free
for the asking! Some say the internet spells the doom for printed magazines like
those i grew up enjoying. Hogwash i say! Personally, there are many joys in
having a real physical thing to read, hold, and take with us from place to place (i heard
someone say the bathroom). There are many great advantages of the print media.
Admirers of high-quality photography will rightly claim how the best print is currently
better than the internet's now lower resolution. Some design and layout specialists
will rightly claim that there are things the print media can do which can not be done (at
this time) on the internet. My feelings are that it brings joy to know magazines like
Ultimate Audio, Haute Fidelite, Hi-Fi News & Record Review, MJ, Stereophile, TAS,
Sound Practices, etc. are available today. Right now there could be a music lover standing
in front of a magazine store and seeing, for their very first time, a magazine about
better ways to enjoy reproduced music. Alas, i must admit there are times i read
various magazines and wonder whether their aim is to include or exclude the general
public. Some good ones seem to really want to include everyone into the party while
others, with their unique lingo and overly-used upscale language, seem to do little more
than insult other magazines and writers. Of course print can do many a wondrous
thing.
On the other hand, there are things print media can not do. Popular streaming audio is one example. All the "mainstream" print magazines for high-performance music lovers have a lead time of over two months. As many of you know, Enjoy the Music.com is the leader in reporting on shows during the actual event. Not just photos, but real content with our world renown high-quality photography work, panoramas, streaming audio, etc. Furthermore, with a simple click of your mouse you can be at a manufacturer's website gaining even more knowledge about their wonderful products! This is something the print media simply can not offer. Still, i find myself very jealous of the high-definition photography work found in some printed magazines.
In the end all magazines, whether they be print or e-zine, are vital in promoting better quality music reproduction to the masses. For we are the ones that can share our joys of music with others while showing them there are better ways to reproduce it. We can work together, or fragment ourselves apart. We can join together in discussions and promoting our hobby, or become like the worst newsgroups on the web. It is time to forget about being politically correct and just remember that our lives are like a grain of sand on the beach of life. This is also why i use the small "I" when referring to myself. For music was here thousands of years before us and will be enjoyed thousands of years after we breathe our last breath. We at Enjoy the Music.com Review Magazine only wish that you...
Enjoy the Music,
Steven R. Rochlin
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