I’d like to send you one of these, please

Every day for the past 30 days, I’ve made a compilation cassette tape featuring music inspired by one UK city on side A, and one New Zealand city on Side B. I called it the Sister Cities of Sound project.

I’d make the tapes, then send them to people who’d requested them. Most of them complete strangers. Some people I’d met before and a couple were very good friends.

But I still have three of them ONE left, and I’d really like to send them to someone who might appreciate them.

That’s it – they’re all gone.

Far and wide
A couple of tapes went to people in New Zealand. A couple went to the USA. One or two to Europe. One to Australia. Most went to people who live in the UK city referenced on the tape.

And to be clear – the songs are not necessarily – though they are sometimes – by artists who come from that city. And nor are the songs necessarily about that city, though that sometimes happened too.

The songs chosen were simply the ones that I associate with that place for one reason or another.

Why did I do it?
First of all, it was interesting to me. I love the idea of the construction of meaning through playlists of music. How songs make sense of each other and build a narrative. I’m teaching a class this semester on Music Programming, and I’m going to be getting my students to do something like this, only not about cities, and as Spotify playlists, rather than cassette tapes.

Second, I’d been given three boxes of brand new blank cassettes and it was crying out for some sort of interesting project. This was what I came up with.

And third, it tied nicely into my series of 30 day projects I’m doing in 2010. In fact, the 30 blank tapes I’d been given was the catalyst for me doing these 30-day projects in the first place.

Three tapes left
So – three cassettes remain unclaimed. They are:

14) Sunderland / Invercargill
24) Bath / Porirua
27) Wrexham / Levin

UPDATE: Only the Sunderland / Invercargill tape remains unclaimed.

THAT’S IT – THEY’RE ALL GONE.

Any of those places mean anything to you? Just interested to hear what’s on them? Send me an email (dubber@gmail.com) and I’ll arrange to get one out to you. I have the envelopes and stamps all ready to go.

I’ve really enjoyed the project – though it has taken up quite a lot of time over the past month. Lucky I’ve been on holiday, really…

I’m looking forward to my next 30 day project, in which I come up with – and give away – an idea a day. More about that tomorrow.