Oh, the feel of the open road and the thought that there is no specific place to go and no specific itinerary to follow. Oh, mighty road trip. A road trip, however, is not a road trip without three essential ingredients: somebody to share it with, foods to snack on and music that will make this road trip all the more memorable.
Not many people can truly grasp and understand the importance of creating a music mix tape or cd for a road trip. First, music is essential for any kind of driving, even if it is just to get you down the street to the nearest gas station to fill up. Though it may sound dramatic, music provides a soundtrack to your life and taking a road trip is no different. In fact, on a road trip, music is that much more important because not only does it provide a necessary soundtrack, it can set the theme of the entire trip itself, as well as serve other logical purposes like keeping you alert and awake on your drive.
You are about to embark on a road trip with your boyfriend and either you have been assigned the duty of providing the music mix or you just want to do something a little romantic and create the perfect music mix for the occasion. There are a few key things to keep in mind when creating the ultimate mix tape or cd.
You will either want to create a perfect harmonious combination of both yours and his style of music or make a mix that is entirely him. Either way, make sure that you always keep him in mind when making the tape or cd. If there is a band that he truly loathes but that you just adore, be sensitive and keep it off the music mix. If you two are dating, by now you should know who his favorite bands are, but if you don’t, don’t be shy in asking his friends or roommates or family what types of music he loves as well as who his favorite bands are. Make a mix of some of his favorite songs intermingled with a few choice B-side songs or live version songs in there from his favorite bands. He will be impressed that you took the time to seek out these new versions or new songs he might not have heard of.
Keep in mind the tone you will be trying to set. Part of you may want to convey a romantic signal to him through this music mix and while that may be fine, you may not want to overwhelm him with love ballad after love ballad. You don’t want him falling asleep on you. If he likes music that pumps him up while he’s driving or music that he can sing along to, try to incorporate that theme into the tape or cd you create. If he is into rap or hip-hop, it is highly doubtful that he will appreciate a music mix full of classical or easy-going jazz music. If it’s powerful music he enjoys, it is powerful music he should get!
One of the worst mistakes people make when creating music mixes is the obvious lack of organization in the songs. While you may have picked 12 or 13 terrific songs, you want to maintain the flow of the mix throughout the entire playing time, so make sure you mind the order the songs go in. You don’t want all of the slower, more laid-back songs playing all in the beginning and then the harder and louder songs all playing at the end. Your boyfriend will appreciate all the thought you put into creating his ultimate road trip music mix!
