Yesterday on a Facebook audiophile page where I serve as an administrator, I shared a link to an article from Rolling Stone on an upcoming Indie movie that interviews several alleged victims of the late Mr. Michael Jackson. I thought it sounded interesting and since it involves someone whose works grace many an audiophile's music collection, I didn't think twice about posting it. Oh boy. To say that I caught some vitriolic backlash would be mild. Perhaps it’s the writer in me, but when I am interested in a subject, I generally don not like to merely take things at face value, but prefer learning more about the various aspects of it -- or them. It provides context and a more rounded and interesting picture, warts and all.
When I attended a writing workshop some years ago in Chicago, for example, an award-winning writer spoke of asking very sensitive personal questions of the common man turned celebrity divers in his documentary on the lucrative discovery of a sunken ship and its hidden treasure. Even though embarrassing, he insisted that these questions helped provide a truer picture of his subjects, making it richer and more rewarding story. When I interviewed boxers as a news editor for a boxing website, famous or not, I often probed to find out about their hobbies, relationships, heroes, and personal habits, in addition to asking about preparations for their upcoming bouts, diet, training and so forth. That humanized them to readers, who learned more about the fighters they watched at venues like Cicero Stadium, the United Center, Mandalay Bay Resort or simply on TV. Most readers appreciated it and most athletes were more than accommodating (although one world champion took issue with me asking about his personal life and let me know in bluntly – however, he was in the minority). One of the many things I have enjoyed about my audio and music experience is meeting and learning more about some of the characters in audio and music –- stuff that wasn’t always available for public consumption. It gave me a closer look at the common humanity that we share. After all, when all is said and done, gear breaks down and our ability to enjoy audio will fade, leaving us to cherish memories before our sensibilities pass. And somehow, I don't think the best speakers or audio gear will be at the forefront of our minds, but people and our shared human experiences with them. So, when posting on audiophile pages, I generally focus on speakers, components and audio services, as well as music videos. However, if I find an interesting article on a musician or someone related to audio as I do from time to time, I will often share that, as well. It provides us with a broader context – that of human experience, which helps tie us together.
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Juan C. AyllonA writer, artist, educator and owner of Prairie Audio Man Cave, he lives with his wife, Isabel (AKA Belle), and their Goldendoodle, Liam, enjoys listening to high fidelity music and all things hi-fi at their home in the greater Chicagoland area.. Archives
March 2024
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