Travel changes you. So does music. I have always believed that a trek in the mountains is jazz for the nerves, a dip in the sea is pop for the mind, and steps into the diverse cultures of the world are the ragas that connect life with creative thoughts. And if you aren’t already aware, travel and music come together seamlessly through technology. You may call it audio technology or give it any other fanciful title, but it is rock, folk, jazz, classical, marching band, experimental, and heavy metal with every possible combination possibility including Bollywood hits and other music genres specific to our nation that are forever present to bring out any emotion at short notice.
Talking of emotions, Yasmin Anwar in an article has quoted Alan Cowen, a neuroscientist, who claimed that music tracks capture emotions and goes on to list amusement, joy, eroticism, beauty, relaxation, sadness, dreaminess, triumph, anxiety, scariness, annoyance, defiance, and feeling pumped up as the experiential ways in which music across cultures has been mapped. What this means is that music has the power to enhance a listener’s experience of whatever he is doing. There are forms of music that help people focus or concentrate on the work that they are doing. There are forms that can help travel enthusiasts find more meaning during their journey and we know of forms that can bring about a spiritual alignment wherever this is necessary. However, we are focusing on music for the traveler in this article and I must admit that I have noticed lists on Spotify, Wynk, Gaana and other apps that attempt to make travel more enjoyable. For instance, one may not wish to listen to sad Bollywood film songs from the fifties and sixties during long drives. The truth is that technology has been upped to such a large extent that one does not have to spend hours just finding the right type of music these days. We have the advantage of other technologies as well that bring the right music closer when we need it.
We live in an age of powered speakers that does away with separate amplifier-speaker systems and digital audio transport technology has obviously vastly improved and network control is now in the palm of our hands. These are times when lighter, smaller, and more powerful wireless technology that comes with reliability, reduced costs, and massive storage capabilities is within our reach. With so much happening in the world of audio, is it even possible to imagine lugging a large and heavy Edison’s phonograph for miles up a steep incline to just have a few hours of uninterrupted musical interlude under a clear blue sky?
It must be mentioned at this stage that though technology has made the nuances of musical notes to be carried at all times, we also need to be aware of not allowing beats and rhythms to interfere with the sensitivities of others. I have observed a lot of youngsters carrying Bluetooth speakers in their backpacks during treks and loud music at such times can become rather unnerving for a lot of others who may be more intent on hearing the songs of bird and the way the wind whistles through the trees. There was a time when people carried transistors with them and then graduated to walkmans and portable CD players and then later on came the ipod and its various clones. However, we have already entered times when even an inexpensive smartphone is capable enough to store hundreds of songs, if this what a listener wants.
Music isn’t any more dependent on hardware specifically meant to store music. There are apps in smartphones that can do all this with just a few swipes and access to ready-made lists makes the task easier. This tilt towards instantaneous access to music has made even device manufacturers realize that smartphone hardware must be fitted with excellence in audio technology and this race has led us to find ourselves in the midst of an avalanche of wired as well as wireless headphones that can bring in all forms of music without making it a source of disturbance for others in the vicinity. So if you see someone with funny button-like things in the ear and no wires coming out, rest assured that it is the omnipresent technology at work. The music lover has more technology to make his life waltz through moments where even ambient sounds from outside can be filtered. This march of technology isn’t over yet and I believe what we have is just the starting point in the march to listen to our choice of music any time we want to without making it intrusive.
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Note: This article was first published in ‘Device Next’ January 2021 issue.
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Arvind Passey
01 February 2021
