Death of The Mixtape, Loss of A Love Affair.

    When I was about 10 years old I was introduced to the wonderful world of music. In case you didn't know me back then, which I'm sure is most of you, I was what the world would label as a loser! I spent most of my days unsuccessfully trying to hang out with my older brother and his friends. When I discovered music I discovered rock, and when I discovered rock I discovered life! At that point I figured who needs friends?
    Maybe a year or so later I gained posession of a tape player/radio boom box, how this beautiful box of joy entered into my posession I do not recall, but I at that moment in time was that happiest child on earth! I immediately scrounged tapes from all the corners of my world (i.e: stole them from other people). Some of these tapes were already recorded materials, but with the McGyver like skills I posessed as a now 11 year old I taped over the holes allowing new recordings to be placed on the tape. Over time I began to make, what us people that are old enough to remember call, mix tapes. I would stay up late at night with y box of tapes clicking away on the record and pause buttons recording all of the best songs off of the radio. I would make mix tapes for friends and they would make them for me. when i really liked a girl, and she had to be really some kind of girl, I would make a mix for her. Usually these mix would be full of songs that would remind me of her or songs that said how I felt about her..
    Last summer A few friends of mine got together and did a mix cd exchange. I made sure to include a copy of the same mix on tape form. The winter of 2009 I drove a 93' Chrystler Conchord equipped with one working speaker and a tape deck. Although I believe The mix tape is dead and gone as a culture, my memories of those better days and my love of the craft will always live on.