I invite you to take a brief journey with me.

Months ago, a friend and customer Patrick Carbone, shared with me the recent, devastating loss of his son, Brandon.

Tears, stories, prayers have journeyed back and forth in emails, and we also spoke of the power that music can have in the healing process. Instead of just sharing a link to Patrick’s inspired creation, I felt it deserved the honor of a few extra words.

Every person grieves in a unique way. When we allow ourselves to grow through the journey, instead of trying to go around such painful trials, we can gain new appreciation, strength, and ultimately peace. This is especially true when we use our gifts and means of expression through that difficult process of grief and healing.

For some, filling the home with their love of cooking can bring memories, sensations of comfort. For others, perhaps it is a journal or poetry. For the musician, it can be a tricky risk to partake in, as the writing, the sounds, even the creative of mixing all evoke powerful experiences for many of us. I can tell you from past experience, it takes a great measure of humility and bravery to write, record, produce through the grieving process.

So, when Patrick shared the result of his emotional journey of writing a song in tribute to and memory of his son, first of course I was honored to listen, but also removed from the friendship and circumstances, I really love the song and the mix on their own standard. As an added treat to the great writing, production, instrumentation, Patrick’s long-time friend Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal performed a stellar solo, a blend of finesse, precision and artistry that match the high mark of quality I’m hearing in this song. Only because Patrick insisted that I do so, will I mention that Tape Booster Plus helped him to achieve his sonic goal on the mix, but truly one can hear his high standard and great abilities in the mix, so I imagine any tools of choice in these capable hands would yield a great result.

All of this led me to use the moment not just to share with you, the audio community, a great song from a great individual, but to show appreciation for something we can all benefit from, which is to use the gift, the blessing of music, to honor those around us. Life is a series of moments, thoughts, experiences and connections. It is a precious thing, sometimes too fleeting.

Memories and music can lift up an eternal candle in tribute to those things that matter the most, and so I pass this gift forward to you, with the hopes that you too will reflect upon those who are the closest to you, and the blessing that is music.

Never forget the depth and breadth of dimensions music can add to your lives. It can help us to share, love, heal, grow, and build bridges to the next part of our journey. So do yourself a favor and take a few moments to honor Patrick’s family and their tribute to their son, Brandon. If you’d like, share it with others as a message to one another in the audio world and family. This is the substance that makes us love the mixing, recording, production of music, because the resulting music forms a bond that can enrich us all. For me, this is what being a music recording community is all about. Patrick, it’s an honor to call you “friend”. God bless you. “Grains of Sand” by Patrick Carbone.