Like many other people in my generation, I express myself through musical compilations. You know: Playlists and such. Ten years ago, it was making a CD mix. Before that, it was making a mix tape.

I was a prolific mix-tape maker. They weren’t all good. In fact it wasn’t uncommon for me to record the tape and five minutes later completely discard it. There were some tapes that hit the bottom of the pile before they were even finished being made. But some were good. Really good, in fact. So good, I can still remember the song line up or the tape it was recorded on.

Making mix tapes was a passion of mine, just like making playlists is today. I still find a special kind of enjoyment in the making of a good mix. But making a mix tape was different, because there was no changing the mix on the fly. Once a tape was recorded, it was no longer a blank slate. It was a thought already shared.
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