Mix Tapes

Remember back in the day before we created playlists on iPods and before we even could burn our own CDs? In case you can't remember back that far, we used to create mix tapes. A couple weeks ago, the boys opened a box of photos and in the box was also a bag of mix tapes that I had made. Most during my freshman and sophomore years of college.

I have been waiting for the opportunity to pop in one of the bad boys and reminisce about how awesome the music I listened to 8 years ago was. Last night I got just that opportunity. The boys and I drove up to Chicago for the night, so about halfway through the ride up, I reached my hand down into the bag of tapes and fished out what was sure to be an inspiring and insightful look into my soul.

Well.

Remember way back in the Fall of 1999 when the song "Meet Virginia" was awesome? Me neither.

Other proud moments for me on the tape include:

• The opening number to the musical "Pippin". Apparently back then I thought that Ben Vereen and the song "We've Got Magic to Do" really spoke to my soul.
• The song "Cell Block Tango" from the revival of the musical Chicago. For those of you not familiar with the song, it is sung by the 6 merry murderesses on death row in the Cook County jail in the 1920s. They each sing of the the murder of their significant other that they suspiciously know all the details of even though they insist they are innocent. They also proclaim the men "had it comin'". Naturally, in the true spirit of musical comedy, the song is performed with a humorous spin.
• Ella Fitzgerald performing "Anything Goes". While Ella Fitzgerald is terrific, I don't really think that the song was mix tape material.

Looking at the aforementioned selections, you may think it's a little heavy on the musical theater. For those of you who did not know me then, I was a musical theater major. As a musical theater major, you live in an alternative musical theater universe, where it is OK to sing and dance whenever you deem fit. Both rehearsal studios and the line at Panera Bread were fair game. And you would probably pour an equal amount of emotion into your performance at either location. Not my proudest time.

But, listening the tape did bring back a couple memories and a hope that I had had for the future that I had kind of forgotten about.

• James Taylor's live version of "How Sweet It Is" still makes me dance a little and puts a smile on my face.
• The musical "Ragtime" is still awesome.
• Performing the song "Happiness" at the end of the musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" is still one of my all-time favorite times on stage. I can think of one other blog reader that I hope might feel the same way. The final line of the song "Happiness is anyone or anything at all that's loved my you" still makes me smile. Especially when I look in the rear-view mirror and my sleeping boys.
• The last song, which I had completely forgotten about, was the song "Race You to the Top of the Morning" from the musical "The Secret Garden". Just for those of you (most of you) OK, (all of you) who might not be familiar with the song or the story-- It is a father singing to his son while he is sleeping and about his dreams he has for his son. I remember when I used to listen to the song I would hope and wish for a father for my children that would show them the same tender love that Archibald showed to his son Colin. My wish came true.