I went searching for songs that made me feel like winter. I wanted slow, instrumental, cool, somber. My essay, when I was writing it, and converting it to a script, made me think a lot about growing up, changing, becoming a new person. The places where I felt the most connected to the writing were all centered around the back hall–the focus of my audio essay; the way the hall smells sends me back.

The two tracks I’ve selected (and have embedded below) are by a group called Blue Dot Sessions. From what it looks like, they compose soundtracks for movies, or even audio essays. For the most part, they’ve got a slow, folky, airy sound that evokes just the right feelings from me. I’m getting the heaviness of winter air, I’m getting the draftiness, the back hall.

Jeff Porter was talking about thinking about the kinds of feelings that are desired in a radio essay. I didn’t want something that’s going to overpower the low tones of my voice in the narration; I didn’t want something that’s going to go unnoticed. They both kind of drone, much like the speech I use in telling my story. They add a background noise that I can cut out at any time for emphasis.

One thing that would need to be considered, though, is losing the effect that I’m going for. They drone, which is a good thing; but then again, they drone. People get lost in drone. I guess what I could do is have a sort of theme music–a part of the song that is recognizable that I can cycle in to lead listeners toward a certain feeling.

The first track is called “Transit Alias” and the second is “Stakes and Things.”