Recently, I’ve discussed vinyl organization with a few customers. This is often brought on by someone repeatedly checking their phone, as they shop through the bins. You see, better people than myself will take the time and effort to catalog their collection, in order to keep track of what they have and don’t have. I’m sure this saves them a lot of trouble and potentially a lot of money, as they avoid buying multiple copies of Talking Heads’ Fear of Music (I think I’m up to four copies of that one). I considered trying this with my own collection, but then I had another idea…perhaps the worst Idea I’ve ever had.

Why not embrace the chaos of a record collection? I can alphabetize and organize till I’m blue in the face, but what will be gained? Yes, the music in my collection can be mine to wield and mold as I please. I can curate sections based on my current interest and separate “party music” from “listening music.” Or…my collection can be a living, breathing thing. The albums in my collection were not created according to my needs. They were the result of movement and spontaneity. Inspiration doesn’t come from cataloging and reducing something down to the first letters in its name. So, why not let my collection fall into disarray and become, like most things in our lives, a wall of chaos that I have no control over? What will happen to my listening habits? Will I train myself to approach my collection with a clear head and no expectation of what I am about to experience? Will I find myself stepping away from those few albums that I listen to on a regular basis? Maybe I will become more familiar with what I have and don’t have. Maybe my relationship with music is a give and take and not something to be compartmentalized for my convenience. We do not approach our loved ones with expectations and preconceived ideas. We embrace the chaos of the exchange and move forward with whatever might be thrown our way, and we are better for it.

So, starting today, I will disregard any method of organization in my collection. After I listen to something, I will surrender it to the abyss. When I choose a record, I will clear my head of any wants or needs and let the silence be my guide. If I find that I’m just not finding anything that I want to listen to, maybe I need to reconsider my own collection, or my own expectations. Either way, I think this will only serve to make me a better listener and more in tune with what I have, what I want, and most importantly, what these albums mean to me. Or, I will crumble under the chaos and loose all interest in music, leading me to just have a Spotify account… Either way, I will report back with the results. Maybe this is something you might want to try? Or, maybe you have your own ideas, be it genius or as potentially bat shit crazy as this one!