Long before Harry Potter arrived on the scene, way up high in the hallowed halls of State Quad at the State University of New York at Albany, was a 21-story magic stairwell.
The first sign of its magic? It dramatically enhanced the sound of one’s voice — like singing inside the most incredible studio-quality reverb chamber.
The 17th Floor Sessions
Living on the 17th floor, I’d often slip into that stairwell with my guitar, playing songs I normally performed in clubs. It was heavenly — I sounded better than what I really sounded like, bathed in a natural echo that made every note shimmer.
One evening, in the middle of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” I heard a sound behind me. Still singing, I turned and saw a dozen young women sitting on the stairs, whispering to each other as they listened.
I felt suddenly naked — shy, embarrassed, my face reddening. But an audience is an audience, and the show must go on!
I played through to the end, and as the final chord rang out, they erupted in applause. It was so loud that I thought the echo was amplifying the cheering, but then I noticed another dozen listeners standing in the stairwell below where I sat.
What could I do but take requests?
While this version of Bridge Over Troubled Water wasn’t recorded in a stairwell, I hope you enjoy it anyway — (might need more reverb though…😊).
▶️ Listen to my version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
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Something Borrowed on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/4GOvdaaglRQ19SvWZaLenu
Something Borrowed on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMp3Q1cf4ZmElwbzKU5XWPoKHqyq8lR43&si=bzwUM22uDY7-Idv3
Something Borrowed Everywhere Else:
https://found.ee/something-borrowed
In Harmony,
Bodhi