Blackvspurple

The idea of mix Cds started only recently before the good old days of rushing to the radio and taping my favourite song when it played. Those were the kind of mix tapes I made a long time ago when I was a teenager and Backstreet boys were the love of my life.

Then as I grew older, and developed more character, I decided that the radio was rubbish. Threw away most of my boy band mix tapes, as I had no use for cliché love songs anymore. That I felt was not music that came from the heart. It was more like music made to trick unsuspecting teenage girls, like I admit I was.

And yet the idea of mixing songs from different artists into one space, never escaped me. I have always been a fan of creating things. Creating a mix cd, is a work of art. Going through the songs that inspire you, picking up the ones that would inspire another person. Arranging it in order, which song should come first, which song should end the mix cd, etc etc. Some mix cds are themed – love mix cd, crying mix cd or a mix cd specially for someone.

There are many different ways a mix cd can be delivered to some. By email, as files. Just a cd in a casing, with a list of the songs it contains or I could even go the extra mile by designing a booklet to come a long with the cd.

Sometimes I make mix cds, just to spread the music that I love, in hopes that the music that inspired me, inspires another human being. Sometimes I want to express how I am feeling, and although I am a writer, words seem to escape me from time to time. That’s when songs written by people I don’t know personally seem to express what I am feeling or what I want.

Most of the time when I share music I wonder if the person gets why I like the song. Sometimes, my mix cds go to waste, as I discover that the person the cd was intended for, doesn’t like slow music, or something like that. Music is poetry with melody. Just like I love to share my favourite authors with the people I love and care about, I love to share the music that makes my heart skip a few beats with this group of people.

On the other hand, I rarely receive mix cds from people, but when I do, I keep these works of arts with me. Discovering music that I did not know existed before I listened to the mix tape, or wondering what a friend would think I like is actually thrilling. A mix cd takes a lot of effort, and when I receive one, I usually want to hug the person who spent so much time in making it just for me. I would go through the songs one by one, trying to imagine, what exactly it is about that particular song that impacted the creator of the mix tape.

Music is a map of feelings; a map of life. Listening to a mix cd is like listening to part of the life of a person, and creating a mix cd is putting a part of yourself into that cd, and hoping the receiver of the cd understands that part of you. Hoping the receiver understands how much the guitar, drums, piano, violins and lyrics means to you.

Creating a mix cd is like creating a very special gift for someone. Receiving a mix cd is receiving the most precious piece of someone. I will continue making mix cds for the people who matter to me. Hopefully, on the other hand, I receive one of the greatest gifts, once in a while.