+Mixtapes. Turn on your stereo, your ipod, your computer speakers, your cellphone, and if you're that indie, your Walkman. Music of all forms flows into your system. Rap, alternative, rock, jazz, soul, and if you're that indie, indie. All those different rhythms, all those different beats but who would have thought that they could say so much. The most common early mixtapes were bootleg 8 track tapes that were sold at flea markets and truck stops in the late 60's through the early 80's. These mixtapes were compilations of specific genres of various artists so that if you were trucking down the highway you wouldn't have to listen to just Bob Dylan you could also have a bit of Johnny Cash as well. It started with combining songs that mixed together but as they've evolved they have come to mean so much more. Instead of only truck drivers getting all the good song combos it fell into the youth generation during the early 80's and that's where it sparked. It caught fire like a haystack and soon everyone was trading all sorts of mixtapes. Songs to make love to. Songs to cry to. Songs to kill to. It didn't really matter, it became more emotionally connected than convenient. Even today, when I want to really share my feelings, it makes it so much more special if there is music behind it. I'm not entirely sure why a mixtape means so much to me. I couldn't tell you why it's like an art form when you combine songs together on a cd. Is it because even though I didn't write the songs, it's like I'm creating them? I put hours into such a silly cd. Could be full of my emotions or just a bunch of great songs all in one. But, no matter why you put the songs together, you did it because you truly cared about how it sounded. How each song complimented the others. So, when you're done reading this article, open itunes, go through your songs and toss some into a playlist. Find someone that means a lot to you and tell them. Secretly, with a cd.