A trip down my media immersion lane...

When I think back to my media evolution, two mediums glaringly stand out in my mind: books and mixed tapes. I started reading at a very early age and used to have a hard time sleeping at night, lying awake in the dark for hours after my bedtime, so I would self-medicate with books. Reading always helped me sleep and helped me escape whenever I was feeling upset. I remember being about six years old and reading the book Helen Keller cover to cover almost every night for a month. I still revisit that book often and revel in wonder at why and how this book mesmerized me so much when I was young.

Books became part of my life very early and I think they helped to stretch my imagination. I wrote a short story in the eighth grade called, “The Magician’s Daughter” when I was sick at home for three weeks with the chicken pox. I handed the story in to my teacher and about three months later she made an announcement at the front of the class that I had gotten first place in the British Columbia English Teacher’s Association Writing Journal contest. I was thrilled and floored, mainly because I didn’t really remember writing it as I was on medication most of the time. Maybe that says something about the famous fantasy writers in history… maybe?

Another medium that has always been with me is music. I remember being young, like first grade, in the early 80s when the Much Music television station was launched (it’s much like MTV only in Canada). I remember sitting on the living room floor and asking my Mom what certain words of the credits were I couldn’t understand that popped up and the beginning and end of each music video. I remember watching Tina Turner and Madonna and signing and dancing along. Because my Mom was young when she had us, these artists were a part of her culture and were influential on me. There is a second grade school photo of me with a missing tooth and in leopard print leggings and a side pouffy ponytail. Oh yes!

I remember being obsessed with mixed tapes. My boyfriends and I would make them for each other and EVERY SINGLE SONG meant something; it’s hilarious to look back now. One thing that really stands out in my mind is a 10th or 11th grade English project that was assigned to us in class. We had to come up with a 15-minute presentation to the class, describing us as individuals and who we were, but using NO WORDS. I was stumped, and then totally stoked because I knew exactly what I would do. Other students struggled, some were inspired, and others just got very creative, as did I.

Back in the day, around the early 90s, my parents had recently purchased a suped-up (is that a word?) stereo system that all of my friends envied; we even had one of the first cd players on the block (I’m dating myself now). However the technology hadn’t advanced enough to be able to mix cds yet. I decided to cut a 15-20 minute mixed tape that expressed about 15 words that I had chosen that described me that I put onto large flash cards. I recorded everything from commercial tunes, clips of television, radio and other tapes and music… you name it; it was on it. I worked harder on that than almost any project I have ever done; HOURS spent lying in the living room editing, rewinding, timing, recording. I was so proud and terrified at the same time to present it to my class. No one else had done anything like it, and it was gutsy. In the end, my class, and more importantly, my teacher, loved it. Everyone laughed and hooted at certain clips they picked up on that went along with the words on the flash cards that I held up. It forced people to have to put the audio they heard and the words they read together in a creative way. I wasn’t allowed to speak to help them make the connection.

I still have that tape and those cards, I carry with them everywhere I have moved to. I recently tried to play the tape for my boyfriend but it wouldn’t play in my tape deck. I was shattered. I need to take it into one of those restoration places because it’s something I want to hold on to forever. That is one of my fondest media memories.