First Loves and Guilty Pleasures: Creating ‘The Mixtape of My Life’


What band did you obsess over in high school that you may be embarrassed about now? What song makes you think of your first romance?

Many of us associate music with pivotal moments in our lives: birthdays, graduations, holidays; not to mention breakups, failures and deaths. Taking stock of meaningful music is at the heart of Robert Elder’s new book “The Mixtape of My Life: a Do-It-Yourself Music Memoir.”

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Edler, who is also president and publisher of the online publication Blockchain News, joins us to discuss his book and share some of his musical signposts.

Upcoming events

Meet Elder at the School of Rock in Oak Park this Sunday, April 29; and at Quimby’s Bookstore on May 10. More information about these events is available here.

Video: Our conversation continues online as Elder and Paris Schutz discuss their early musical educations and songs that remind them of big moments from junior high and high school.


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Hanna Holborn Gray on ‘An Academic Life: A Memoir’


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