Humans have been making music for the entirety of recorded history. The oldest known musical instrument, a flute made of bone, dates back at least 43,000 years. Since then, humans have been compulsively creating and consuming music. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, total compact disc sales in 2002 were more than $12 billion.
All of this begs the question: Can music be addictive? Local retailers might have the answer.
“I think you can get addicted to anything,” Cat’s Meow Jazz and Blues owner Jeffrey Ogburn said. “As addictions go, it’s not a bad one. I never get tired of it and it doesn’t hurt my liver.”
Ogburn, whose store is located at 122 East Broadway, is one of many local music retailers who believe in the addictive power of recorded sound.
“It’s infectious,” said Sarge, manager of Face The Music at 886 East 13th Ave. “There is a song for every moment in the day. I see it as a willful attempt to soundtrack our own lives.”
As with other local retailers, Sarge, who prefers to go by one name, considers himself addicted to music.
“Because of the access I have I get really absorbed into every genre,” Sarge said.
Other retailers have similar experiences.
“I can get really into a record and just listen to it over and over for weeks,” said Greg Sutherland, a buyer from House of Records, located at 258 East 13th Ave. “Right now, I’m into King Crimson’s ‘Lizard.’ I don’t want to listen to anything else.”
Many retailers reported that dependence on music can lead to a number of adverse effects. Citing overspending and a decay of social skills and judgmental attitudes as the detrimental aspects of music dependence, retailers generally believe that problems only arise when customers take their passion to an extreme.
“When you spend six hours straight under the headphones, it can begin to affect your social skills,” Sarge said. “If the song ‘Helter Skelter’ starts speaking to you, it might be time to walk away.”
But many retailers believe the positives outnumber the negatives.
“Music is an addiction that doesn’t hurt,” Ogburn said. “And it’s like religion, in that it can be spiritually fulfilling.”
And music junkies have plenty of opportunities to fulfill themselves. New portable listening devices, such as Apple Computer Inc.’s iPod, have become immensely popular among consumers. According to Apple, more than 700,000 iPod units have been sold in the last fiscal quarter. The related iTunes computer jukebox system has recorded 30 million song downloads to date.
Retailers believe this kind of consumption boils down to the pure power of music.
“Music can save your life,” Sutherland said. “It’s like that old quote, it ‘soothes the savage beast’.”