The Art of Mixing

First off:

I'M ALIVE! I'M ALIVE!

It has truly been a crazy-busy-fabulous month. No excuses for lagging in the updates but I must say, for the most part, I am in a great place right now. A great, reDONCulously busy place.

And what better way to celebrate that (and the first day of June! JUNE! ALREADY!) than with a much, much overdue post.

But what to be grateful for? Catching up with fabulous friends? Spending the hot afternoon hours dining on patios? My new-found addiction to Hip-Hop Abs?

Nay. For this post, I indulge in some nostalgia.

Ladies and gentlemen - well, mostly ladies- I bring you...

THE MIX TAPE

Or mix CD. Or mix USB key, what have you.

I adore mixed CDs; not just because of the expected assortment of talent nor solely for the purpose of rocking out in my weekly bedroom dance parties, but because they represent something truly awesome. Often gifts from friends and lovers, they are the product of of careful consideration, compassion, and true talent. For creating the perfect mix CD is an artform, you see. There's a certain formula needed to create a consistently fun flow while adhering to the theme. And yes, there should always be a theme. Whether it's a clearly stated "MEN ARE POO GIRLFRIENDS ARE FOREVER LISTEN TO THIS CD AND LET'S DANCE!" or a more subdued "I-made-you-this-mix-in-the-pretense-that-we're-friends-but-I-snuck-a-lot-of-Dashboard-on-it-so-maybe-we-can-be-more-than-that?", mix CDs are pop culture envoys.

It's always great to go back and listen to old mix CDs and pinpoint exactly where I was in life that would influence me to choose the songs I did. Junior High mixes were always short and full of bubble-gum pop, just beginning to test the fine artform of mixing. High school CDs were when I hit my stride, dabbling in hard rock, indulging in more bubblegum pop, but mostly sticking to airy folk and even some misundertood emo - if there was anytime for a musical smorgasbord, it was high school. University mixes were often replaced by iTunes playlists, carefully vetted to create the perfect mood and ambience for parties or messages for friends. And now, after "mixing" for about a decade, I feel like I've got a good grasp on creating the perfect mix and introducing my friends/reminding myself of the fabulous musical talent out there.

In fact, I'm in the mood to make a mix tape right now. Should I feel stuck, I could always wander over to http://www.kempa.com/articles/tape/ and remind myself of the finer points in the "Art". I've also been a longtime fan of Tiny MixTapes (http://www.tinymixtapes.com/mixtape/are-we-ever-going-be-more) where you can submit a theme/quote/question/ANYTHING to inspire you're own personal mixtape. These seem to range from "Your Favourite Songs From When You Were 13" to "A Clown's Existential Breakdown". AMAZING.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to mix it up with something along the lines with "Songs To Party Down To While Your Cat Is Snoring On Your Duvet". I bet I could find a lot of appropriate songs for it. No lie.

<3
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