I remember a time when I had to wait all day for the DJ to play the song; I absolutely needed for my mixtape to be completed. I sat there with my cassette tape loaded, record buttons pushed, waiting patiently or impatiently for the first note of my favorite song to filter through the stereo. I would release the pause button with lightning speed and send the cassette tape whirling into action. My perfect personal set of music was completed. My own compilation of what I thought was the perfect set of songs, meticulously collected and lovingly spliced together to form the perfect mixtape.

Those who love music know it is about the experience, how it makes you feel, tickling those memories, and bringing them back to life. The perfect music compilation can generate a mood, a specific atmosphere and change your frame of mind. Music can influence and inspire generations of listeners. Thanks to technology and streaming music platforms, I no longer must wait for my new favorite song to play. I can simply search for it, download it, and play until my family is sick of it. How else will they know what songs are currently influencing my life if I don’t make them listen to them? Yet, there is still something missing, until now.

Isaac Ellsworth, a Utah Valley University (UVU) alum and a co-founder of Mixtape Social Music™, started his educational journey taking speech communication and working in the public speaking labs at UVU. Along the way, he found his voice and his passion for music. At UVU, Ellsworth worked alongside fellow students and professors, learning how to tell a story. “Music impacts you and transforms you,” said Ellsworth. He shared his vision of how his app would revolutionize our listening experience. Mixtape Social Music™ is a sharing app that allows you to produce your own carefully curated playlists, upload your own artwork or graphics, and add any narrative you would like to share with your audience. Unlike other platforms, there is no commenting, no religion, no politics, only the ability to share the love of music with others. Contributors can share experiences allowing them to vocally tell how or why the compilation of songs influences their lives. “That’s the real secret of Mixtape,” says Ellsworth “these are real people telling the meaning behind the music. It’s humanizing, it’s uplifting, and can make you smile while inspiring you to greatness.”