Title: The Music Shop
Author: Rachel Joyce
Genre: Fiction
Why I Read This Book:
At home, I collect vinyl albums by my favorite artists. Every morning when I wake up (if I’m not going anywhere) I turn the coffee pot on and put a record on. The first record I ever purchased: Love Is For Suckers by Twisted Sister. My local record shop became my favorite place to visit every Thursday and I became friends with the owner. It was a place I always felt at home.
What Did I Learn:
In answering some of the questions at the back of the book, I believe Frank was so dedicated to selling vinyl, even at the expense of his own shop, because of how special and unlike CDs, cassette tapes, or digital downloads records are. As the author said, listening to records becomes a full-participation activity, as you have to take care in placing the needle where you want the song to start and must physically get up to flip to the other side. Records have a full, rich sound and there’s a fragility to them, making them feel precious to the listener. For Frank, I believe it was also a nostalgia value since he secretly mourned the loss of his mother. Their only real connection and bond in life revolved around music and vinyl.
I believe Frank was drawn to Ilse because of her silence and mystery. She might’ve reminded him of his beloved music, which he learned from his mother, as music’s most signifying element is its pauses and periods of silence.
Frank’s gift for knowing “what people needed even when they didn’t know it themselves” teaches us that Frank was a character who could read people and was in tune with how people felt, though he couldn’t explain how. It was remarkable that he was able to look at a character and get a sense for their struggles. He’s a truly empathetic character.
How Will Reading The Music Shop Contribute To My Success?
The character of Frank inspires me to be a better listener – to value the silence not only in others, but the silence that’s all around us. Unfortunately, there isn’t much silence in prison. However it challenges me to find those silent pauses in the small things and to pay attention to what’s not said perhaps more than what is said.
The role of community in this novel was almost like a character all on its own. The residents and shop owners on appropriately-named Unity Street mourned the loss of businesses together, battled the destruction of their way of life together, and were a major part of each other’s lives. Simply being with each other, spending time in Frank’s shop or at the pub felt like family time.
What I enjoyed about this novel was how healing music is shown to be. When Frank picks out music for his customers, we see them transform, melt, or feel empowered. The music acts almost medicinal. I relate to this idea; as a drummer, I find playing or listening to music extraordinarily therapeutic. Music has an unmatched power that can change your way of thinking or processing information, identify or recognize things within yourself you didn’t know were there, and has the power to pull you out of the pit of despair and into a better attitude. Perhaps I can be more like the protagonist, where when I struggle to find the words to offer someone when they confide in me, I can locate musical healing that can speak louder than I ever could.
