I am Kyle's self-indulgence

When I heard this story on NPR yesterday I seriously considered, for a long time, that it may be a joke. Even though it wasn't April Fool's Day and there wasn't anything about the story (aside from its ridiculousness) that would indicate as such, I just kept thinking that these people can't be serious.

The story is about a woman who has recorded a CD of solo triangle music. Yes, you read that correctly and it is exactly what it claims to be: one person, playing the triangle. For 55 minutes.

I think that what made me disbelieve the story so much is not just the idea of someone recording solo triangle, but the unabashed enthusiasm Melissa Block expresses for the music. It really seems like a parody of the way that NPR embraces overlooked cultures and artforms of all types.

At one point Block says, "It's hard to imagine that nobody thought of an idea this--" and I immediately thought in my head "stupid? or simple?" but she finishes "--this great before."

Really, Melissa?

There are so many quotes in the story that are unintentionally funny, it's hard to pick a favorite. Is it when the musician gets "carried away" with the power of the music and yelps aloud? Or when Melissa Block mentions how the CD cover "undersells" the albums by advertising over 45 minutes of music?

No, my favorite part was this bit:

"I think a less discriminating listener might hear track #1, L’Anse au Paille...[plays a few seconds of a quickly repeating rhythm]...and you might then listen to track #3, La Port en Arrière...[plays, I swear, the same fricking rhythm]...you could think that was the exact same song, or even the same song as track #4, Blues de Port Arthur...[again plays the same rhythm]"

Of course the producer explains how despite their similarities they really are individual songs with subtle nuances, but by that time they had completely lost me.

Even after I got home and told Erika about this story, we agreed that it had to be a joke, so I decided to Google it.

Apparently it's real.