Blank cassette tapes are an art form of sorts. They have been used for decades to compile long lists of songs to capture moments of time. Some people gave them as tokens of their affections; others gave them as ways to pass on new music to their friends. These could also continue around in other circles and pass from friend to friend as music tastes continue on.

I would listen to the radio for hours to hear my favorite song. This was back in the days before mp3's. I would capture those moments on blank cassette tapes, if I was really lucky. However, those tapes weren't perfect and there were a lot of hits and misses; I would often record the DJ's small talk and commercials while trying to create the perfect mix tape.

The external artistic presentation is as important as the music contained in the audiocassettes for successful marketing of the cassettes. People show their artistic abilities in designing even the blank cassette labels. These are artistically decorated with markers and stickers. Such decorations are an art form itself. People also give creative names for this and decorate it suitably to gift it.

New recording technology has evolved over time. Now instead of blank cassette tapes, we have DVDs and CDs. A system of digital audio tape is now available that provides greatly improved recording quality. With the advent of mp3s, it's even easier to record your own mixes. You can find almost any song on the Internet and download it onto a CD. Once you're finished, you can design and print your personal CD label.

Many of us still hold that no later invention has improved upon the old blank cassette tapes. There are now online groups where people discuss, buy, sell, and trade cassette mixes. The goal is to increase one's knowledge of the music of yesterday and today, and it's a great deal of fun besides. Exposure to different music from different places and times is such a wonderful feeling.

For all the subsequent technological wonders we have seen, the blank cassette tape left an indelible mark on the public. It made it possible for us to creatively mix our own music for the first time, a skill we have since refined with MP3s and CDs. Still, you never forget your first mix tape.