I turn 40 on Saturday, so as the calendar turns to September I am feeling reflective.

One of my favorite storytelling devices is the mix CD (AKA playlist for you young folx). I’ve been making mix CDs, affectionately dubbed “Matt’s Mixes” for about a quarter century now. In August 2004, starting with Matt’s Mixes 68-70, a 3-disc set I titled August ’04 and Everything After, I became more intentional about giving each mix a title and often a theme or connective thread to go along with cover art.