INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK #3: The Mixed Tape/Cds.

I make myself Mixed cds. As a gift to myself. Once or twice a month, I pick approximately 20 songs that have been tickling my fancy or songs that I've loved for ages, make a playlist on itunes, re-arrange the songs in an interesting way & burn myself a Mixtape, in CD form. Each handiwork is given a really quirky, usually stupid, album name. For example: April Anticipation, June Jubilance, The Splendour of September. This is how I remember what month/time of my life each cd respresents. A good Mix can light up the gloomiest & darkest of days.

Music is extremely powerful. The sonic sound of a song can soothe or stir one's soul. Wondrous words whisper loudly. The combination of lyrics and melody can transform emotions into something tangible. It says the things that we cannot put into words ourselves. It's a feeling. An expression. Music can make your heart beat stronger & the blood flow faster in your veins. Music takes a simple word & sound and runs away with it, far exceeding what we could ever speak in a normal conversation. I think our bones are made of music. It's inside of us. It connects us & keeps us alive. Even those, like me that are in no way musically talented... I can feel it in my blood. Music is magic.

The MixTape has been around since the '60s. Who doesn't like a good combination of stellar songs one after the other? This phenomenon has survived all the changes in technology... The 8 track, the tape, and now... the CD. I remember making my own mixed tapes when I was a little girl. I've been giving mixed cds as gifts to friends & families for years. If you select the perfect list of tantalizing tunes & arrange them in a specialized order, you can make a personalized present that someone will treasure forever. 

Pick songs that have meaning to you, or a theme, or maybe just songs that are really catchy. When you go back and listen years later, you might laugh at some of the songs that were your "favorite"... but music has this special ability to revive feelings and memories in an instant. There are songs that feel like Summer. Songs that make me melancholy. Songs that remind me of riding in the car when we lived in California. Songs that hit me in the heart. Songs that bring back the feeling of training in a hot, chalky gym in the gymnastics days. Songs that delight me. Even songs that make me remember what it felt like to be 3 years old. Some music is timeless... the sounds of The Beatles & U2 have been woven through my life like threads from the time I was in the womb until now. [But that discussion is for another day.]

So, if you're having a dreary day, add a little spice to your life and make one for yourself. Or as a gift to someone else. They make splendid birthday gifts. Just make sure you're not stealing music & burning copies for money, children. I am in no way encouraging illegal activity. :]