(request for comment!)

[alexr_rwx]

- *ethnography pith helmet* Question for you! Do you make mix CDs for people? Under what circumstances, and for whom? Are you trying to get across a particular message? How do you pick out the ordering? Is it similar to choosing songs for yourself? (one fellow I'd spoken with said it was part of his mating-dance behavior; how about you?)

- (it was Graham. he's a pretty happenin' cat.). Martin! He uses chuck! (Ladies! Mix CDs!)

- *noises to succinctly communicate subjective experience*

Comments

(comment?)

[oniugnip.livejournal.com]

I'm not in the "making mix cds" club. I've been known to give people music, but it's usually just some loose songs or a whole album at once. And picking out music for myself is done similarly -- I'll load up some albums, set the thing playing, and let it go for a while, only occasionally skipping around.

(how about you?)

CRW-1622

[khrysta.livejournal.com]

Oh, I make mix CDs for people, if you know what I mean.
(I am completely uncertain what that euphemism would mean.)

Question the Second: I make them under the circumstances that I know some happening tunes that the person I'm making them for doesn't. Also, that I like them / respect them / know them well enough to assume a. This is an act that they would appreciate (Getting a CD) b. This is the sort of music they might like, or if not like, appreciate.

Question the Third: Not Usually! Once I made a mix CD for a friend of mine before I went off to California because I knew he might miss me and so I made a CD of kind of sappy, but ultimately cheerful favorite songs of mine. I think I tried to send the message: I like you, I'll be back, please be happy! Usually, though, it's just a sharing of music w/ very little message other than "I like these songs, I hope you do too!"

Question the Fourth: With much difficulty, wailing, and gnashing of teeth! Sometimes I put the songs in XMMS and randomize a couple of times and play it through and see if I like it like that, or sometimes I go for symmetry... so that it has, for example, the same artists on tracks 1 and 6, 2 and 5, and 3 and 4. Sometimes I'll put songs in an order that goes happy sad happy sad happy sad. Usually though, it's the wailing and gnashing of teeth at how ultimately meaningless the order seems, and yet understanding that it DOES have some indecipherable effect on the feeling of the CD.

Question the Fifth: I don't think I've ever made a CD for someone like I make them for myself. Point: Sometimes CD's I make for myself have only one or two songs on them. It seems a terrible waste, but I use these (3-5) CDs more than any others. CDs for others are always much better filled, and usually full of variety. CDs I make for myself are usually "mood" CDs, so they are sans variety.

Question the Sixth: Not usually mating dance, but I think music in general is the sort of thing that one looks into when trying to decide "what sort of person is this?" so it makes sense that if you're making a cd for a possible "kiss friend" that you might want to impress them.

okay! that was probably more thorough than necessary. ^_^

hmmm

[vitamorsque.livejournal.com]

I do make them every once in awhile, though I used to do it more often. I really only make them for close friends, especially ones that I feel will listen to and appreciate the music, it doesn't just have to be a part of a mating ritual (although, apparently, I have used them in that fashion =)
I will make them as occasional presents, or, more rarely, if I feel that there is certain music missing from a person's portfolio. Picking them out is fairly tricky, but I usually just start by skimming through all the music I have, picking out a whole bunch of songs that I think are appropriate (or that I happen to reall like alot), and then starting to sort them, usually with winamp or xmms. Putting them in order is the fun part...picking out the songs can take a few hours, but putting them in order can take much much longer for me...and I almost always end up taking out many of the songs, and adding a few more in later. I seek the most smooth transitions in terms of tone and composition, although sometimes I try and achieve a monotone emotion for the CD. More often, I go for a story effect, making the songs transition into a sort of emotional ride. One mix I made...well, it was the equivalent of a roller coaster, with the intention of mixing emotions together that don't normally belong together, although I made sure that all of the music flowed, even at that. I don't find that I often use jarring transitions, unless the overall effect is very important.
Anyhow, that's a little bit about how I make my mixes =o)