Obsessions

There is nothing I can think that is more enslaving than music. Nearly every civilization has created music of some form, whether it be for ritualistic purposes, storytelling, or pleasure. People regularly become obsessed with new hot songs or artists, and those who make music become obsessed with the process of creating and improving it. You can always improve at playing an instrument, whether it's guitar or trombone. That's why it's so easy for someone to become obsessed with an instrument, it never reaches an end. You can always learn more, no matter how good you are. I myself have experienced infatuation with creating music. Although I am not very good, the process intrigues me. Because of this, I always have instruments in my apartment and decided that they would be great subjects for a photography assignment about obsession. I captured a few photographs of my trusty acoustic bass, which I got for free years ago but never lets me down. I took them from angles that would not normally be visible causally glancing at the instrument. They emphasize both the complexity of construction as well as the ware from years of use.

I also have a cool old Casio keyboard that gets lots of use mainly because of its ability to record and replay sounds. This use is shown through a missing key and another on the verge of coming loose. Nothing shows the captivating nature of music better than an instrument that has been used to the point of falling apart.

Another musical obsession of mine is for vinyl records. I have a record player in my apartment and a collection of vinyls from both new and old bands, ranging over many genres. There is something absolutely fascinating about how a needle running over etched vinyl can create such complex sounds. I tried to capture the magical moment of needle touching vinyl through photographs. Sadly, I never got a shot I was truly happy with, but I will share what I captured.