BOISE, Idaho — Every search through the stacks at The Record Exchange reveals a different setlist, a different sound and a different story - including those of the Gem State's own artists.
The pieces of history worth remembering.
Music is a way to communicate, express ourselves and tell stories. It's something that transcends time and culture - and is something worth preserving.
To make sure we never forget the past and the cultural history of Idaho's music, The Record Exchange and Boise State University are working together to recognize and preserve the history of Idaho's music scene through a new archive.
The project is something that Boise State senior and former Record Exchange employee Cora Lee Oxley dropped the needle on.
"I think that it is really important to preserve that history," Oxley said.
The Idaho native is spearheading the initiative through a collaboration between The Record Exchange and Boise State's Albertsons Library, which is open to the public.
"They both have respect for artifacts, and interest in material objects and the history that has shaped those things - and the way those objects then shape us as human beings," Oxley said.
The archive was started with a donation by Record Exchange founder Michael Bunnell, and is now taking donations of recorded songs from musicians across the Gem State.
"What I was hoping to accomplish with the project is not just talking about what we're preserving as history, but who we consider inviting to help create history," Oxley said.
Songs created, life recorded and history being made every day.
"We often think of history as kind of a static thing in our culture, we're keeping all of these facts safe for someone in the future," Oxley said. "And what I love about this project is that it reorients that idea around history, and points us in the direction of the fact that we're making history right now."
Any Idaho artists who would like their music preserved in the archive can submit with vinyl, CD, cassette or digital files. People can donate to the archive directly by dropping off a copy of their recordings at The Record Exchange in downtown Boise. Get more information about the project and how to submit via email here.
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