Vinyl Music Resurgence Explored At Aurora Event

AURORA, IL — Vinyl records have made a huge comeback and now appeal to a new generation of music lovers. They were virtually extinct in the late 90s and early 2000s, so why the resurgence? The experts will cover that and more in a Jan. 10 discussion at Two Brothers Round House in Aurora.

Dr. Andrew Morrison and Anthony Del Fiacco will lead the discussion, which is sponsored by Northern Illinois University's P-20 Center.

Morrison is an associate professor of physics at Joliet Junior College, and will discuss the history of recording technology and its recent revival. He earned his PhD from NIU in 2005, and has conducted research on acoustics. That led to his studies of steel pans, mandolins and other uncommon percussion instruments— even the acoustics of the coffee mug. Morrison will share why the science of sound may not be able to explain why vinyl has come back, and why it's not going away.

“I want people to take away the idea that perception of sound and music is highly varied from one person to the next and that it is difficult to quantify scientifically,” Morrison said in a press release from NIU.

A performer of many instruments for more than three decades, Del Fiacco works as an audio engineer for NIU Integrated Media Technologies. His interest in vinyl came at an early age, when he discovered a record player and his brother's Glenn Campbell and Elton John albums. He also worked as on-air talent for Rockford's WYBR/WXRX. He'll talk about the mechanics of the recording process, focusing specifically on the differences between vinyl and digital formats.

The discussion will take place from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the brewery, located at 205 N. Broadway in Aurora. It's part of the NIU STEM Café, which is designed to increase public awareness of science, technology, engineering and math. It is free and open to the public.

Photo: Caitlin Ketel