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

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.