The Bygone Days of a Cassette Music Machine (aka "Walkman")

Prompt: Write a Story from the Point of View of a Now-Defunct Piece of Technology

The Bygone Days of a Cassette Music Machine (aka “Walkman”)

No longer do I hear the cries of revelers yelling “Party tape! Party tape! Grab the party tape.” I used to be in such great demand as an instrument offering musical bliss at party after party. My owner would take me everywhere: to the park, to the beach, to school, even to the bathroom while showering. It used to be that everybody whether young or old, had one carrying it around on their person like it was an extra limb. But virtually none are used in public nowadays. The proof is my owner now hides me in a remote corner of a bedroom closet.

My power is waning so I have little energy to share my story. If I do not, then the mystique of the portable cassette player will be lost in the throes of antiquity. Just a memory from the 70’s and 80’s likely soon to be forgotten.

Serious buyers can still find my likeness on the internet, but good luck at buying cassettes to fill your ears with pleasurable music while still being mobile. Cassettes used to be affordable. Now any prerecorded musical tapes require effort to find, and are ridiculously priced. One might find a few classic cassette albums, but the musicians of today would be horrified to have their new music released on cassettes without first having hyped-up marketing on social media or Spotify. 

The future may seem bleak for me, but I tenaciously cling to the memories of yester year. I remember when I had an appetite to stretch out a tape in a cassette from repeated listening and rewinding by the user. It was glee to see the disappointed look on the user’s face, particularly when in my opinion, the music chosen was in really poor taste. On the other hand, I empathized when the sounds brought delight to my user, or particularly when I actually enjoyed the beat it brought to my spindles.

But there were occasions when dastardly non-users of me, (the machine), would vandalize my cassette innards by deliberately unraveling the tape from the plastic housing. I wondered why someone would succumb to such devilish behavior? The culprit was quite often a toddler who became fascinated at an endless string of tape being yanked out much like the clown pulling on an endless hanky from his pocket. I knew one day that rascal would have his own cassette music machine realizing the sacredness of his tapes are better left inside the plastic case.

There was an intentional slackening of the tape which warranted immediate action by the user. Once in a while I would get temperamental by refusing to wind the tape up onto the other spindle. The cassette would continue to spill its guts inside me wreaking havoc within me. I loved it, especially when I despised the tape. I would not deliberately ruin it, but I forced the user to spend copious amounts of time and effort rewinding the tape with a number two pencil.   

There are two other situations that would infuriate my user/owner. They were meant to be teaching lessons. First, garbled tape recordings. They were meant to awaken the user that my batteries needed to be changed out. Secondly, the “all of a sudden” snapped tape. It was a message imploring one not to buy cheap, off brand, generic tapes. You get what you pay for. Spend a few more pesos purchasing name brand stuff like Maxell, TDK, or Sony!  If a machine could have a mantra, it would be “garbage in, garbage out. Don’t be a cheapskate and get the high-definition cassettes!”

Most of my use was intended for prerecorded music. It made my owner happy. Nonetheless, I relished those occasions when my owner would insert within my gut a blank tape. A recording session was about to take place! Exciting! What would I be recording?

Usually it would be the infamous “party tape.” My mix artist/user/owner would carefully select an assortment of music based on their own style and interests. Frequently, the selections were bold, head knocking, and ear ringing dance numbers that lifted the spirits of the party goers. They were not the only ones lifted as the intense music vibrations would cause me to shake off the table or shelf where I was playing. One can tell how much I have been used in these situations by the number of dents and dings on my corners and surface.

On rare occasions, I would be used for dictation purposes such as documenting certain facts. But honestly, I really thought the recordings became special when the user would add their own personal input. Often it began with the phrase “a memo to self.” It marked a private moment between me, the machine, and the user.  It was wonderful how a blank cassette tape can bring out the creativity from the user. I have recorded amazing stories of adventure and intrigue. Some of them were actually recounting real life experiences. Others were fables and fantasies drawn from the creative mind of the user. Most of all, I relished those recordings when the user would bare their soul to me.

Nothing, however, could compete when the recordings were made as a means of worship. I was in awe of the user’s sincerity and devotion elicited in their voice whether singing, reading a Bible passage, or improvising a prayer. My owner expressed great elation when recording “My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul.”   Still another, “Be exalted in your strength, Lord; I will sing and praise your might.” ^1.

Of course, in these modern times everyone uses cell phones with headphones, ear buds and anything that blares out sound connected by blue tooth. My day has come and gone.  My fans have tried to breathe life back into me, but either one really has to be nostalgic having a library of cassettes, or an utter fool thinking the mini recoding machine could compete with the high-definition output of modern technology!

Will the mini music machine ever have its popularity of yesteryear?  It might make a few noises (pun intended). My guess is when disco roars back to its short-lived fame, then so I will return with a vengeance. My prediction?  Never.

Regardless of your whatever electronic device you use: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5: 19-20, NIV)

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” (Colossians 3:16, NIV)



Author: Pete Gautchier

Acknowledgement: Reedsy.com (prompts)