The 1980’s and 1990’s were the era of mixtapes, a time when you could express your love to people by putting a mix of songs together on a tape. Can you imagine your significant other giving you a tape with all the songs that reminded them of you to show how much they really care? Of course, there are other ways to show your affection to others during this time period, for example, giving flowers or gifts, making a Spotify playlist just for them, or whatever. But bottom line, there will never be anything as romantic as getting a mixtape. 

So how do we match the mixtape era today? Well, shareable playlists on Spotify have made personalized song tapes possible. Perhaps it isn’t as cute as receiving a mixtape with your name on it, but it’s a start. Also, the Spotify libraries provide millions of songs to choose from, and once a playlist has been made it gives the recipient recommended songs that fit the vibe of the playlist. This makes it easy to give someone you love something personalized and unique.  

There are other ways that we can match the mixtape era today. Obviously sharing or making a playlist for others on Spotify works. We can also put songs on a flash drive to give to others. It’s a fun way to show someone that you care about them and it has similar vibes to giving someone a mixtape. It’s not the exact same as giving someone a mixtape but it works for the time period we are in today. 

Though the 80s have passed and mixtapes are difficult to come by with today’s modern technology, it doesn’t mean we should stop the trend of giving music. Remember in Guardians of the Galaxy when Peter Quill received the mixtape from his mother? For many of us, that was the first time we saw the experience of mixtape giving. Or in others’ experience, it might be the Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air when Will was always listening to a mixtape on his Walkman (which for those who don’t know is what you used to play the mixtape). But that experience doesn’t have to be pure fiction, only seen in movies. 

People who experienced the era, such as Ms. Agnew, have a positive opinion of the spirit of giving music. “I love mixtapes! I think they should definitely bring it back,” she said. “You would listen to it and listen to it all the way through, over and over. I stayed in contact with a guy I met in college, and he would send me mixtapes of him playing the guitar of the songs he thought I would like and him speaking French in between songs.” She says she still has the mixtape to this day. 

Mr. Feist also had stories to share about the mixtape era, and one experience “changed his life.” For background information, Mr. Feist commented, “Some people would use mixtapes to say ‘this makes me think of you.’ I would record from my boombox to get songs off without having to buy it.” Apparently, he is guilty of giving mixtapes to ex-girlfriends. But his story starts when he was moving school to school and was determined to participate in almost every sport at his middle school. “Coach Gino was the coach for every sport at the school. In the packed SUV to sporting events, he would always play comedy mixtapes to engage every kid in,” he said.  As he got older he realized how much he loved that experience, saying “I admired how much time and effort Coach Gino put into his kids and making them feel special. Now today, as an educator, I want to do the same.” So, when it comes down to it, we can thank Coach Gino and his mixtapes for bringing us, Mr. Feist. 

Mixtapes are an incredibly special thing that can bond people together and have created many happy memories from the past. Even though it’s difficult to find mixtapes these days, we can still try to replicate the experience and find new ways to share love through music such as making a playlist or just letting the ones you care about know that you love them. Let us continue trying to match the era of the mixtape.