First LP, cassette, CD?

The technology of music just keeps moving on, but somehow, there's less romance to the idea of trying to remember "What the first song you downloaded?" rather than the first vinyl record, first cassette, first CD.

Do you folks remember your firsts in music?

Vinyl album: I can't remember the first LP I bought on my own. I do remember that the first LPs that were bought specifically for me (as opposed to general listening for all the kids in the house) were a set of LPs for my 10th or 11th birthday (or perhaps for Christmas). I remember that Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Starship's "Knee Deep in the Hoopla" were among the albums I was given. The Starship album was probably chosen because the song "Sara" was popular at the time... I also know that someone bought me a single of Hall & Oates' song "Sarah Smile," around that time, too.**

First cassette album: U2's "Unforgettable Fire" was the first cassette album I bought with my own money and is still in my collection. Also, perhaps because it's the only music I ever bought in another country, I clearly remember purchasing the Howard Jones EP "Action Replay" in Toronto while on vacation with my parents.

First CD: When this new-fangled technology came out, I was skeptical, but I had been given an inexpensive CD player and needed something to play in it. I went down to a convenience store near Western Michigan University's Campus that also happened to buy and cell used CDs and picked up a used copy of Fishbone's "Truth and Soul." I just relistened to that album last weekend, and various songs have been stuck in my head since ("Wow, I was shakin'!"). It was definitely worth the $3 or $4 I paid for it...

**Incidentally, while I can find a youtube video of the Hall & Oates version, I can't find that song anwyhere online to dowload, though we found a version by Boys II Men.

More education stuff, and a request

Hey: For my examiner page, they use some kind of secret formula to determine our pay. It includes page views, but they also factor in how many subscribers you have. Sadly, I have none. :(

If you'd be willing to subscribe to my page, I'd appreciate it. Don't feel pressured, but if you live in Michigan and/or are interested in Education news,  you might find some of the things I post about interesting. I'll be posting 4-7 stories a week, very likely never more than one a day. If you subscribe, you'll get an email alert when I publish something new.

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A sampling of my latest posts:

Education 101: What is Proposal A?

Eastern Michigan University wins grant to help children learn about ecology

Michigan Academy for Green Mobility launched to train engineers for renewable energy jobs

Washtenaw Community College Web site wins award in national contest

Education 101: What is 826Michigan?

I think the last topic is really interesting, and there's a brief youtube video embedded for further explanation. I'm fascinated by the whole idea of having a silly storefront (Robot Repair, Superhero Store, Pirate Supply store, etc.) that supports a tutoring and literacy nonprofit in the back.