Recently I came across my collections of mix tapes.
Some I had made myself, some were given to me by
friends and old beaus…now those were the ones that struck my curiosity.
I went up into my attic and pulled out my old
receiver, the one with the duel tape player, hooked it up and listened.
The particular tape I was listening to was from my old
beau Alain. Listening to it made me think about how much time he spent making
it and the thought that went into it.
Hours were spent selecting the songs, arranging them,
timing them out and then recording them onto a cassette. It really touched me. It
was truly a gift from his heart and a gift of his TIME… my favorite type of
gift.
For those of you who have never recorded to cassette,
you would have had to be there to really understand how much time it took.
My relationship with Alain was a short one. And, no, this
is not where an Adele song starts to play! We both understood going into it,
this relationship had an expiration date of 9 months. Maybe that is why it was
so much fun. I had plans to move back to LA from Boston to start my hand made shoe biz and he was on his way to graduate school. And we
left it at that.
So for those of you who have a LOVER on this day Feb 14, think
about giving a gift from the heart a "mix
tape/playlist.”
With a few suggestions from me, iTunes and basic
drawing stills it will not take long and it will leave a special place in your LOVER’S
heart.
Let’s get started
Know your audience and what you want to say.
Theme -
Themes are extremely important in the art of "mix tapes and playlist." Only
you will be able to choose the appropriate theme for the occasion. After your
theme is chosen, you will have to whip up a clever title. My recommendation is
to keep the theme and title simple.
Playlist –
Ok here we go… this is the tough part. For a LOVE playlist you need to dig down deep into
the bottom of your heart, expose the bloody organ for all it's worth. It's as
personal as stripping down naked and saying, "This is me, take it or leave it."
Just remember the first song is the most important.
This song will set the tone. You need to hook your audience
in with the first few notes. Once this song is chosen trust me it gets easier….
Hints…include songs that
the two of you share….your make out song, a song from a band you might have
seen together, or the song that was playing in your head when the earth stopped it’s
rotation for a what seemed like hours when you first set eyes on this person.
I reached out to a few friends and we put together
some suggestions for you. A few are my favorites but remember this is YOUR playlist… these are only suggestions.
Ray
La Montagne – You Are the Best Thing, great opening, it will set the tone
Come
Rain or Come Shine - Eric Clapton & B.B. King
When
I’m Sixty-Four - The Beatles, whimsical and catchy
Brighter
Then Sunshine - Aqualung, LOVE THING SONG!
(You’re
My) Wildest Dream - Nick Lowe
La
La I Love You - Pixies
I’m
Sticking With You - The Velvet Underground
You
and I - Wilco
Everyday
- Buddy Holly
In
Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
Let
Love Rule - Lenny Kravitz
Say
Hey (I LoveYou) - Michael Franti and Spearhead
Addicted
to Love - Robert Palmer
And my very favorite… I Want a Sunday Kind of Love - Etta
James
Presentation –
Think about how you’re going to present this CD of your
raw emotion to your LOVER. You MUST personalize the packaging. Some printers will allow you to print a photo or artwork
on your burned CD. But if that is not available to you at least you need
to personalize the jacket of the CD with a photo or drawing, and don’t forget to
write down the song titles and artists on the jacket.
Good luck...xoxoM
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