Mixed Tape

I think the mixed tape was one of my favorite assignments we had so far this year. I think that doing different projects that are some form of art, such as a mixed tape, opens a whole new door to what writing and composition can be defined as. Once again, it shows that there are no clear defining rules of what writing is and how it should be composed.

I put together my mixed tape for my grandfather. It is a CD that chronologically lists the songs I have played for my grandfather since I began playing the piano. I ended with a song I had composed and recorded in a recording studio for my grandfather. I thought that was a nice conclusion and gives the listener a reason to keep listening all the way through to the last song. Another reason I did this chronologically is because the songs I have played for him got more and more difficult the further down the playlist. The way I organized this is what I consider my ‘flow.’

This flow is my writing style for this project. The main thing it has taught me is that an individual’s flow does not have to necessarily be seen directly or in the standard fashion to prove a point or be considered correct. This does not mean that there can be no organization and still flow. I believe that once the audience is established and the main purpose for the CD is clear, then the choosing of the songs can take place. One thing I think helped this CD a lot is the addition of liner notes. For reasons that might be clear only to the reader, it helps prove a point or reemphasize one. It is also a representation of your songs by written word. Overall, this assignment has taught me that writing and composition is not the only standard text book, thesis-driven essays that we are taught in every English class, but goes beyond the thoughts of writing and is taken over by the imagination, where it can then develop and grow to its fullest.