I have an emotional connection to this album. I first heard it in Marshall Brown’s Multimedia class. I had always wanted to take a Marshall Brown class, so I was excited when my wish finally came true. Since I entered the class during the third quarter, I jumped right into the video project segment of the class. For one of my projects, my group and I decided we were going to make a spoof of The Office. The first thing we knew we had to do right was pick a title theme that delivered the same feel as the one from The Office. We talked about a bunch of different songs for the theme, but none of them stuck. Marshall suggested that we try out one of his songs. We gave it a listen and thought it fit perfectly with what we were trying to convey. That song was called “Play When Sad.” I asked Marshall if he had any future plans with his music career, or if this song was just a hobby. He told me that he had been working on a project for about 6 months, and he was going to be done with it when I was a senior. He told me the goal for the album was to create a compilation of songs that are best listened to when someone wanted to “Sit and Ponder,” which is where the album title came from. He wanted to create songs that would be perfect platform for someone to drift off into a corner of their mind. I listen to a lot of different music. Some songs that I listen to bring up emotions, others not so much. However, Marshall’s album does not bring up emotion the same way that most music does. Rather than incite emotion through lyrics, Marshall’s music connects with your subconscious and helps you wander the unexplored places in your mind. Marshall has perfectly synthesized the way his brain works and the emotions he feels on a daily basis and transformed it into music.

I watched Marshall develop and perfect his style and sound. “Smile” shows off Marshall’s talent when he is in his comfort zone. It is a very simple song that has an infectious piano chorus. It is easy to digest and pleasant to listen to. This song brings up a very simple and basic feeling of gentle happiness. I remember being the Tech Manager at the Mendocino Film Festival at the PAC and hearing it over and over again because Marshall had made it the music for the sponsor reel we had to show before every film. A lot of people came up to me during the festival and said “Do you know what song this is?” I told them Marshall had made it, and it would be released soon. That’s the thing about “Smile.” People love just how easy it is to listen to and the feeling it gives them.

A song that displays Marshall stepping outside of his comfort zone is “Minutes.” The foundation for this song sounds like a pretty ordinary tune that fits right in with his sound. However, Marshall completely turns the track on its head by creatively mixing it. The song starts out with this unique piano line. Then Marshall puts this genius effect on the piano that reminds me of when you look through a kaleidoscope. He put a piano riff through a sound kaleidoscope and the result is a very catchy and uplifting melody. The high hats that Marshall uses on this song are probably my favorite on the entire album. The high hats on Marshall’s album are not my favorite in the world, but in this case they fit so well. Marshall also adds a second rhodes keyboard line that really completes the riff and draws your attention. One minute into the song things start to pick up. That second rhodes line transfers from long notes to a melody that is very addictive. Claps and distortion are also added to help bring the track to a close. Minutes was one of those songs that took me a while to get used to, but after I listened to it the 20th time, it became my favorite song. That is another thing that is appealing about the album. Not only does it change to match what you are feeling and thinking, but sometimes you change to match what its feeling and emotional content.

I decided that I was going to talk to Marshall about the song that I thought was the most emotionally infused: “Happy Vibe.” Marshall told me the story of how “Happy Vibe” was created. It was during the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year and like every school, Mendocino High participated in Homecoming. Marshall always says that Homecoming is basically like the Olympics for everyone involved in KAKX and the media program. We have to broadcast at least four sports games, live stream skit night, broadcast the parade, and take pictures throughout the entire week. That’s a lot of responsibility to take on, and it takes an emotional toll. Along with all of those tasks, Marshall also had a responsibility to the fire department, and on skit night he wasn’t even there because he had to run the boards for a music show in the PAC. Although, thanks to his previous teachings, I was able to lead the skit night crew to conduct a smooth and well produced operation. When Marshall got home that night he broke. He had exhausted himself both mentally and physically and came to the realization that he needed to make a change. Marshall now understood that he needed to let go of one of his major responsibilities. He decided that he was going to leave the fire department at the end of the year and focus more on teaching. That decision was very difficult for Marshall to live with, because he loved being on the department. Thus, the breakdown occurred. A few days passed and Marshall decided to talk to someone that he admired and respected. That person told him that for him to lift himself out of the hole he was in he should make a happy song, which is exactly what he did. To convey this, “Happy Vibe” starts out with this very wholesome ukelele line that reminds me of times when I have felt fully engulfed in one raw emotion. Then, a bass line –  equally raw – provides a helping hand, kind of like a friend picking you up after you have fallen. After these two lines, a multitude of different instruments come into light. I don’t know how he did it, but Marshall somehow introduced each instrument in a specific way that reminds me of a high school band assembling last second to perform a song. Because of all their hard work and effort that they have put in, the song turns out great. The chorus is probably my favorite on the entire album. The way that Marshall composed and mixed his whistling and humming sounds so good. “Happy Vibe” isn’t the happiest song on Sit and Ponder, nor is it the saddest. It’s the song that I believe shows a lot of who Marshall is and the lessons he has learned.

One of the most important skills I think a person can master is being able to properly convey what they are feeling. Sit and Ponder is a perfect example of Marshall having fully developed that skill in his own unique way. Along with being able to convey his feelings, Marshall finds and perfects his sound over the duration of the record. This is a one-of-a-kind album because of its ability to fit any situation and connect to your heart and mind. I am really thankful Marshall involved me in the process of this album and I am extremely proud that he created this beautiful piece of music.

12/10