Mixed Together

About 5 years ago I met someone new who gifted me a mix CD after much reluctance to accept it on my end. I was scared the songs would forever be tied to this person and I would no longer enjoy them on their own. The mix had a cut out piece of paper colored to look like a rainbow with a simple title and list of songs and artists. I still think of the process they went through: choosing and ordering the songs, titling the mix, coloring the case. I picture them on the floor cutting out a slip of paper to fit perfectly in the case and rearranging the songs before burning the CD. About a year ago I decided to make one. I loved the process and thoughtfulness required to craft the perfect mix and I now have no fear of the connection that is also crafted as a result of a gift like this. Music is a beautiful connector since every song can evoke different memories from one person to the next and thinking of someone when a song comes on should be craved not feared.

Now, whenever I meet someone new I like to make them a personalized mix CD cozied in a crafty custom CD case. In my process, the music is the first to spill out, usually it’s one song that ignites them all. I try to create a journey from the first to the last song, including nostalgic oldies, reminiscent songs from “that one day”, and newly discovered ones that will become reminiscent in a few years. This creates a strong feeling and acknowledgement of time around the mix and constructs a timeline in which the CD creator and the person that will listen are traveling on together. Whether it’s played out loud in their bedroom, on their headphones walking down the street, in an airplane flying to Iceland, in their car driving to NYC or Colorado, they will have the same journey. The songs become linked together and whenever both parties hear the song in the future you will remember it as the song at the top of the rollercoaster that is the mix, the song that set the stage, the song that comes after the sad one, the last song.

After I solidify the songs and perfect the order, I add my voice to the end; I say something along the lines of, “thanks for listening!”. Then at the moment of truth, I burn the CD into existence, always labeling it with the date and heart. Next, I move onto crafting the case. I need construction paper, crayons, and scissors. I cut different colored paper depending on the mix and it’s future owner, to fit the case perfectly and I fold the edges to align with the sides. Then, I attempt to sum up the mix with a title and a simple drawing for the cover, a list of songs and artists on the back, and tiny doodles with hidden messages on small cut out pieces of scrap paper on the inside. I like to create somewhat of a scavenger hunt within the CD case with clues only the person receiving the mix would figure out. A typical feature I include is a poem written on a small piece of paper slipped behind the CD, the poem must be decrypted based on codes I give using the songs from the mix. This simple craft becomes a thoughtful, lifelong gift that will connect you to someone forever. In quarantine I have made over 10 mix CDs and highly suggest it to anyone looking to get crafty in their gift giving.