Guest Column by Salim Merchant: In memory of the iPod

As Apple stops manufacturing the iPod, a musician remembers his first experiences with the digital music device

I’ve always been an Apple user and I got the iPod soon after it released in India in 2001. I had one of the first few models—the one with a dial and buttons, without a big display screen.

It was such a new thing then to own music digitally in a device. I remember the first feature I fell in love with—something I miss in other devices today: you just had to plug your iPod into your system and all the music in your laptop/computer (back then), would automatically sync and save in your iPod.

Looking back

Before the iPod, I had owned a Walkman for five to six years. I remember dropping it often, after which I shifted to the Discman. But even after many had switched to listening to music on their phones via apps, I stuck to the iPod. I never felt the need to upgrade, even though I keep track of technology and update my phone once in three years. A lot of my unreleased music was also saved on the iPod. It was almost like carrying a hard drive with all my music in it.

When I heard that Apple had plans to stop manufacturing iPods, I dug mine out. It wasn’t hard to find: I was using it till quite recently.

Musician Salim Merchant with his iPod

I loved the dial—the soft clicks and the feel of it. When the touch version of the iPod, called the iTouch, was introduced in 2007, I was tempted to switch since I’m a tech geek, but it didn’t appeal to me. I like devices that combine analogue and digital. It’s kind of like choosing a book over Kindle, because you like the feel of it.

Of playlists and apps

I get attached to things I develop a personal connection to. And my iPod has so many memories attached to it. Like my first backpacking trip in the Himalayas when I was in my mid-20s. I remember it running out of battery and looking for a Mac to charge it.

Also, the iPod formed the foundation of how music is consumed today. For instance, creating playlists was a habit I picked up when I had the iPod as a 15-year-old. Plus, the iPod led to iTunes, and now the Apple Music app.

Six months ago, I needed to revisit one of my own compositions. I didn’t have it anywhere but my iPod, so I dug it out, and found that, 20 years later, it’s still functional. I didn’t plug in headphones and go full Y2K, but I copied the file and worked on it. The device works perfectly and is as reliable as ever.

(As told to Karishma Kuenzang)

Salim Merchant, 48, is a music composer who has co-composed songs for movies like Race 3 (2018), Ladies vs Ricky Bahl (2011), Band Baaja Baarat (2010) and Chak De! India (2007)

I Say Chaps is an occasional guest column that allows passionate, creative people a platform to have their say.

From HT Brunch, May 21, 2022

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