NPR ran this little item the other week. It’s amazing how small things have giant impact in the world.

Inventor of the Cassette Tape

Lou Ottens, who put music lovers around the world on a path toward playlists and mixtapes by leading the invention of the first cassette tape, has died at age 94, according to media reports in the Netherlands.

Of course, I made mix tapes. I had a tiny reel-to-reel recorder. My brother and I would record what we called “commercials” on it. They were something like radio plays. It was the beginning of a career. I had no idea at the time. You never do.