“What Is love? Great minds have been grappling with this question throughout the ages, and in the modern era, they have come up with many different answers. According to Western philosopher Pat Benatar, love is a battlefield. Her paisan Frank Sinatra would add the corollary that love is a tender trap. Love hurts. Love stinks. Love bites, love bleeds, love is the drug. The troubadours of our times agree: They want to know what love is, and they want you to show them. But the answer is simple: Love is a mix tape.” (Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time)

“You gotta hear this one song. It’ll change your life, I swear.” (Garden State)

“Anyway, I’ve started to make a tape. In my head. For Laura. Full of stuff she’ll like. Full of stuff that will make her happy. For the first time, I can sorta see how that’s done.” (High Fidelity)

Music and love. Music and friendship. Music as a communicator. Music as a connector. Just what makes people not just want to but need to share music?

Music, for many, is the most basic and intimate form of expression. While you may not be able to perfectly verbalize a feeling or experience, you can usually find a song that hits the nail on the head. Whether 16 or 60, we never stop feeling “it’s as if this song were written about me,” or “I’ve got to play so-and-so this song.”

Technology has certainly made sharing easy, but even back before there were means to download, rip and burn, sharing music and musical experiences has been a huge part of human nature. Whether it was bringing my brand new “Grease” album over to my best friend’s house in third grade, making mixed tapes for friends in high school, or taking turns putting money in the jukebox in college, nothing is better than sharing the music that moves you, and getting turned onto new tunes.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 18th, 2010 at 1:08 am and is filed under Thoughts(t) .