I Choo-Choo-Choose You.

Happy February! Of course this month is synonymous with Valentine’s Day and now it is crunch time to find that perfect gift for that someone special. Chocolates? Flowers? Pixelated pick axes and torches? How do you pick a perfect gift when there is so much out there? More importantly how do you find that gift on a budget? I am sure our Cheap Date correspondent will have a few choice items, but I am here to offer a creative alternative to shopping. A DIY gift that will have cause your paramour to swoon.

Let’s talk mix tapes.

How to make a valentine’s playlist:

1. Find your voice. What kind of message do you want to relay?
a) Funny?
b) Sappy?
c) Sexy?

2. Be Creative
a) The tracks do not need to select songs from the same genre, era, or artist.
b) This type of playlist is a great way to express how you feel about the other person. Find songs with lyrics that describe how you feel. Perhaps a song that will remind them of shared memories or that elicit a strong emotion. I like using humor to achieve this.
c) Try using sound clips from movies or TV shows to break up your playlist.

3. Be Thoughtful
a) Spend time picking the right songs.
b) Make sure the transition between songs flows.
c) Start strong; End Strong

4. Design the cover.
a) If you are doing a CD make sure to do something interesting with the cover art. Don’t forget to decorate the actual disc.
b) If you chose songs for the lyrics, you should add some of the most important lyrics to the liner pages.
c) Make it memorable so the recipient knows you put thought into the gift.

FAQs

How long should my mix be?

A: Well, this is not something that has set rules. It really depends on the songs you pick. I think that cassette tapes made this easier; 45 mins per side. Cds typically take 80 mins of audio. So let’s say shoot for at least 13 tracks and max 20 tracks.

I don’t listen to a lot of music…. What do you recommend?

A: Find out what the person you are making the mix for listens to. If that is a closely guarded secret then go with Pop music. Pop music is easy to find, pop stands for popular after all. There is a good chance this person has heard these songs and may even like them.

Where should I search for music?

A: iTunes has a lot of good mixes if you need a starting point. You tube has a bunch of music and it is easy to find similar tunes in the side bar. One way I find interesting bands is Wikipedia searches. I look up a band I am into and find bands in the same genre or associated acts. This usually leads me to many different options and sometimes a new obsession.

Will you make it for me?

Ugh… seriously? I am not your Cyrano. Puppy eyes? Well…I am already working on a Valentine’s playlist…If you get really stumped I suppose you can copy the playlist from my special Valentine’s Day Mix. This will be posted sometime before the 14^th. Keep reading our blog. ❤