Without question, it's easier to learn most types of information, including the titles and artists of most songs, than it used to be. Every now and then, though, I miss a few aspects of pre-Internet times:
- During the brief time I worked at a record store, it was satisfying to help customers by using my musical knowledge. Examples:
- Q: "What song has the lyric, 'I get off on '57 Chevys. I get off on screaming guitar?'" A: "That's Eric Clapton's 'I've Got A Rock 'N' Roll Heart.'"
- Q: "Who sings that song, 'Mambo To The Moon?'" A: "Tom Grant."
- Q: "I'm looking for a song. I think it's by an artist named Marcone. It's about walking in Memphis." A: "That's 'Walking In Memphis' by Marc Cohn."
- A trivia expert, such as Dave Strauss on KMOX, impressed listeners in pre-Internet years by knowing the answers to many of the questions they would call in. In 1985, Strauss answered my trivia question on-air, recalling that in 1973, Ron Blomberg became the first designated hitter. It impressed me that Strauss knew the year and player offhand.
- I enjoyed playing "Name That Tune" for extra credit in two classes. Why not get an extra point, when it's offered, for knowing that KYKY is playing Stephen Bishop's "Unfaithfully Yours?" Somehow, today, it wouldn't be the same. I can just imagine a class full of students taking out their phones, holding them up to the radio, and waiting for the app to identify a title and artist.
Undeniably, it's great to have apps, search engines, and Wikipedia for learning more about music, but there's even more satisfaction in recalling a bit of knowledge, especially when it's obscure, from memory.
