In 1945, a man named Tony Schwartz picked up a portable tape recorder, moved the VU meter to the top, and attached a strap. Recorded sound was never the same.
Schwartz was agoraphobic. He couldn't leave his postal code in NYC, so he wandered the neighborhood with a microphone up his sleeve or attached to his collar. Children jumping rope, taxi drivers ranting, music streaming from juke boxes all bled together to form an audio tribute to his city. Years later, Schwartz became audio pen pals with sound-lovers from near and far, bringing the sounds of the world to his mailbox. He also created some of this country's most iconic advertising. No small feat for a man afraid to leave his block.
If you do nothing else today, listen to this beautiful retrospective of Schwartz by The Kitchen Sisters. It's the first piece every radio student at Salt listens to. Then buy yourself the cheapest recorder you can find and carry it with you. Think of Schwartz and be amazed by how differently you hear the world.
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