Author Archives: Scott Foglesong

Charlotte Joko Beck’s Nothing Special is a masterful book that takes the woo-woo out of Zen practice and anchors it securely in the here and now. Focusing on “everyday” Zen (the title of another of her books) she helps her … Continue reading →

Veteran audiophile and hobbyist Art Dudley rather stepped in it this month, during the course of his Andy Rooney-ish rambling-putterer column in Stereophile. He had taken a casual look through his vinyl collection and had looked up some prices on … Continue reading →

A lady Buddhist scholar from Bangkok travelled up into the jungles of Thailand to meet with the esteemed Dhamma master Ajahn Chah, who lived much like the Buddha himself, in a humble forest monastery. Ajahn Chah was a teacher of … Continue reading →

When I took over the chairmanship of the music theory/musicianship department, I inherited a problematic young teacher who had been a last-minute hire due to a colleague’s husband being unexpectedly transferred. A hasty search had thrown up several candidates who … Continue reading →

A tale of two records. First up, a sturdy 10” Columbia LP from the early 1950s, in which George Szell conducts the Philharmonic-Symphony of New York (soon to be re-christened New York Philharmonic) in two Wagner overtures. Side one, Flying … Continue reading →

My geekiness extends to forming attachments to record labels. Currently I’m enamored with American colossus RCA Victor, in particular, their series of Living Stereo recordings that began in 1958. But I do not limit my interests to stereo only. Before … Continue reading →

I’m not altogether certain, but I’m pretty sure that the first golden-era RCA Living Stereo record I ever owned was LSC-2234, two French works for piano and orchestra, featuring Arthur Rubinstein, Alfred Wallenstein, and the Symphony of the Air. I’m … Continue reading →

With the summer vacation really and truly upon me, I find myself sinking into a comfortable and reassuring routine. I have concocted a few projects for myself, none of them earthshattering, but enough to fill a few hours in the … Continue reading →

An aura of the miraculous hovers over the Lilliputian world of phonograph records. The mystery began with the tiny yet complex wiggles that Edison etched onto whirring cylinders. Tinfoil soon gave way to wax; then came flat shellac discs, then … Continue reading →

Just stick your head outside your door and you will hear that the world is mono. What gives sound its location is volume and frequency. The audiophile world is awash in reactionary thinking—puzzling, given the technical leaps taken by audio … Continue reading →