My Mixtape Autobiography

(2003-present)

By Alex Ilusorio

The Mixtape

2007 – Life is a Highway

2012 – Yellow Submarine
2014 – Just the Way You Are
2015 – Blank Space
2017 – See You Again
Life is a Highway
2007

I remember watching the movie Cars for the first time, and all I took from it was that Lightning McQueen was
winning races, the tow truck Mater was his best friend, and that a blue car suffered a severe crash at the end
of the movie. I was too young to remember the plot of the movie, but I know that it was one of the best
childhood movies with one catchy song, “Life is a Highway”. I had a throwback to this song when I originally
moved to the Philippines. Although I was moving internationally, I thought of the long journey it will be.

Life is a highway
I want to ride it all night long
If you're going my way
Well, I want to drive it all night long

The move quite literally was thousands of miles, but I did not know what my next step in life would be. How
was I going to adapt sufficiently in this “new world”. Anyways, now fully understanding the meaning of the
main point and simile of the song, I can look back and say that I truly embraced the meaning of the lyric. I kept
my cool and just lived day by day. I did not expect a Disney movie to have a song that impactful, yet life is full
of surprises.

Yellow Submarine
2012

As I younger kid, I spent many of my weekends at my grandparents’ house. They used to have a Wii gaming
console where I play numerous games. The one game that my family and I played the most was The Beatles:
Rock Band. The game came with 2 guitars, a mini drum set, and a microphone which were all controlled by
the Wii remotes. My grandparents used to be huge fans of The Beatles so they would always share their
favorite songs written by them through this game. The one song that we always played first or last was the
Yellow Submarine. My sisters and I were introduced the song because it was something we could always
remember when we think about famous bands/musicians.

We all live in a yellow submarine

Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

Even if I have not played that game in years, the fun and joy I had with my family is a memory I will not forget.
I play totally different videogames now, yet this was one of the only music-based games I was ever willing to
try. Maybe one day, if there is time to set up the game, I would play it again with my grandparents.

Just the Way You Are

2014

This song became important to my family when we celebrated Mely’s 90th birthday, who is my great grandma.
As a surprise gift, my cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters, and I decided to choose a song which not only she would
enjoy but described our feelings and emotions when surrounded by her presence. As a group, the consensus
was the song “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars. Despite being older age with troubled hearing, we knew
that she would easily recognize this song. In addition, we did not want too many people singing, so my sisters
and I remember using a plastic cup to use as a beat to add flare to it. I believe it was my cousins, my grandma,
and my aunt who sang because they had talented voices. To practice, we used multiple phones to have the
lyrics and eventually remembered the song hours later.

The following day came, and it was time to celebrate Mely’s birthday. There was about 30 people who showed
up at my Auntie Evin’s house, including close friends if Granny Mely. At our aunt’s house, there were multiple
banners and balloons surrounding the house in which the number ninety stood out. Inside the house, there
was a small photo booth with a table of accessories such as a hat or fake mustache. I remember taking a few
photos with my dad and my sisters. What stood out the most was a long table lined up with Filipino Food.
There were many dishes such as my grandma Priscilla’s pancit and pork sticks brought by my Auntie Evin. I
ate tons of Filipino food and had a fun time with the family. After a few hours, my cousins announced that it
was time to perform. We gathered outside the patio where there were a few tables where everyone could sit.
Granny Mely sat closest to the performance, although she did not know what was going to happen. We played
the song and she began to smile.

When I see your face

There's not a thing that I would change 'cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for a while
'Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are
Yeah

The chorus was perhaps the best part of the song when we performed to Mely. Even if she did not fully
understand what the song was saying, she appreciated the surprise and was just happy. Everyone was
clapping and was proud of our work and dedication to making our granny joyful. This was the best surprise of
the party, and it made Mely’s birthday memorable for everyone who attended.

The lyrics in the song completely describes how we all felt about her, with her stunning personality and
ongoing happiness. I will always remember this day because of the strong bond created within my family.
This was the one time that we all decided to get together and make this for her. We did not know how long
she would be alive, but she is still healthy today and always strives to be content.

Blank Space
2015

In 6th grade, I had a mini project where I needed to remember a randomly selected song with a partner. I
chose my friend Aiden so that I could practice at his house and we got the song “Blank Space”. His house had a
trampoline and a Xbox so we would always get sidetracked from our work. Eventually, we started
remembering the lyrics by Taylor Swift by watching a YouTube video multiple times. We learned verse by
verse, but I got frustrated when my friend started to slack off and ignore the work. It was the only time we
could work on the project, so I tried to take it very seriously. His mother realized minutes later that he was
not doing the work, so she forced him to help or he would not have any friends coming to his house for a
while.

So it's gonna be forever

Or it's gonna go down in flames
You can tell me when it's over
If the high was worth the pain

We always got stuck on the chorus because it was the longest set of lines. Once it was performance day, the
teacher enjoyed every bit of it, as we added some humor along the lines. Looking back, these lines associate
with this event. If we did not do the work, we were destined for failure, lowering our grades significantly.
Despite the fun we had at his house, it would have not been worth hanging out with him knowing that we
almost ignored the project completely. There was a temporarily lack of trust within our friendship, which
could be considered the “Blank Space” but everything was quickly resolved, and we still talk today even if he
has moved across the country.

See You Again

2017
Despite the appearance of the song in 2015 alongside Fast and Furious 7, I never took eye on this song until I
made the decision to go to Mater Dei Catholic High School. This choice was difficult, knowing that I would
leave the chance to go to school with my longtime friends. Ultimately, I realized that going to a school where I
could grow my faith is better than sticking with some of friends. I could still talk to them periodically on the
phone or we could still hang out if time permits.

It's been a long day without you, my friend

And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again

I was going to miss some of friends 100%, as we created fun memories during various activities. I was very
hesitant that I could make friends going to a new school, but I did this before when I originally moved back to
California. So, my greatest concern was not necessarily making new friends as I learned more about Mater
Dei. Today, it has been difficult catching up with old friends, especially since quarantine due to the
coronavirus. Hopefully once this is all over, I will try to spend time with them to remember the old days back
in elementary and middle school.