Photo by Deisha Oliver. Relay Station performing at Railroad Earth, December 14th, 2024.
This is the last episode of 2024. Let’s call it the first season of Colin’s Music Corner!
Artists often hear that they have a gift, or are gifted. Indeed, this year has been full of gifts. Many new connections have been made, and there have been many joyous reconnections too. I’ve been busy, which has sown the seeds of a new season, an auspicious beginning, with new adventures yet to come. This year I’ve discovered what it means to be gifted – to be given the opportunity to connect with others.
At times, like many artists, I have felt that the gift might just be a curse! But that’s just those external voices beckoning – the pressure to be a success, to be the best, or to meet the expectations of others. Don’t listen to those voices!
Being gifted is not a curse at all – well, unless you don’t have the time to wrap it up and get it out the door. Music is a gift you have been given to give in turn. It’s that simple.
So, I give this little episode to you for this holiday season.
It is of a piece with last month’s episode, featuring similar instrumentation on the fretless bass, electric guitar, and synthesizer. A few different boxes were used, including a looper and yet another Red Panda pedal called a Raster. Their pedals all incorporate some sort of randomization that keeps things fresh and that I can play against, like a duet partner. It’s almost a musical biofeedback machine.
Thank you for listening. I hope you have a wonderful winter season, and I hope you can carve out some time for yourself to reflect on the past year and what will bring you peace in the next.
I’ll be back in 2025 for new sonic adventures.
Colin Bragg 