Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Hornsby Hypothesis






Nick Hornby's High Fidelity  is a snapshot of Generation X in the early 1990s.  The characters filter the world through media choices --  a person's worth can be determined by their preferences in music/film/TV/etc.  Simply put, affiliation = identity.  We are not our actions, our morality, or any other ineffable quality.  We simply are what we like.

Recently I read the Popless series at the AV Club.  A reviewer decided to forgo new music for a year, while only listening to his existing music collection.  Then he discussed his reaction to the music that he already owned.  I was struck by the insight that this game into the identity of the writer.  Over time his likes, dislikes, memories, etc... formed a picture of the writer.

With this in mind, I decided to start my own exploration of my musical past.  I will be randomly listening to music that I have accumulated, & evaluating it.  Hopefully over time, it will become an interesting insight into my own world.  This project can be followed at Dr Burgoo's Cabinet of Curiosities.