Bianco

Four years ago I walked into the library to scour the sale table in search of some book with great illustrations to be used in a collage piece.  In the midst of this search, I found records selling for 50 cents, so cheap!  I looked through the unfamiliar, awkwardly-sized things, not really sure why.  There was something romantic about them that was speaking into my heart.  I wanted one, but it all seemed rather outdated and pointless really, since I had no way of listening to it.  The left half of my brain won out and I chose this little gem:

I bought my books and record and continued on my merry way.  The record was always around, it sat gathering dust on a shelf in my room, moved under a few piles of papers, lived amidst school books and old handouts.  I would run across it every so often only to brush off the dust and admire the cover.  I guess the mystery was a little alluring to me, I didn't know what it sounded like, and perhaps there was a chance I would never know, but I kept it just the same.  A little over a year ago I visited my sister, surprised to find that she had bought a record player at a garage sale. SCORE! As soon as I had the chance, I brought my beloved little record over to her condo to hear, after three years of waiting and wondering, what it would sing to me.

It was beautiful.  I've always had a special place in my heart for the harp, there's something delicately beautiful in its sound that makes my eyes misty and my heart swell with emotion.

From that point, I was on a mission to find a record player... within my budget.  Craigslist searches commenced. I learned a lot about record players in a very short amount of time, most of which I don't really remember, but there was a point where I theoretically knew how to change a needle and make my own matt.  After telling my dad about my quest, he surprised me by buying me a brand new record player for my birthday! I was one happy kiddo, for now I could listen to Bianco's Harp and Orchestra whenever I wanted.  

Since then I have collected a variety of LPs from rummage sales, resale shops, record stores, and my grandmother's old record collection which I found while cleaning out the basement, but I always come back to listen to Bianco.  He taught me a lesson in patience and reward that I will never forget.