T H E C L A C K A M A S P R IN T
| F E B . 18, 2015
| V O L . 48 IS S U E 13
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College alumni makes sweet
music with local recording
artist
story and photos by Nathan Woosely
When was the last time an artist surprised you?
Like really surprised you? Think for a moment
how many artists that manage to mix and mingle
seemingly odd bedfellow genres successfully.
Now consider how many of those artists are
local, there are only a few. Pink Martini comes
to mind. As it turns out, one such artist records
right here at Clackamas Community College
with alumni and music tech Sacha Muller.
Coco Columbia (a.k.a. Dana Elizabeth) and
Muller teamed up recently to record an EP at
CCC’s “state o f the art” recording studio, ac
cording to Muller. When asked why she chose to
record at CCC with Muller, Columbia said:
“After working with Muller, I must continue
to record at CCC,” said Columbia. “He’s a beast
... It’s amazing that CCC can have such a great
recording studio and a wizard of an engineer
driving it. I ’m launching another kickstarter in a
few months and plan to record my second album
at CCC. Super stoked!”
The recording studio at CCC isn’t just impres
sive for a community college either. Even Port
land State University lacks the quality of equip
ment that CCC has to offer.
“From what I know and have heard [PSU]
doesn’t have this kind of facility ... some PSU
students actually come here for our facilities/’
Muller said.
Columbia’s music seems to pluck from so
many musical gardens, one has to wonder where
all those influences come from.
“I listened to rock/punk/metal early on, jazz
in high school and soul, R&B and hip-hop in
college,” Columbia said.
“The vocals are pop/soul inspired, the ar
rangements, harmonies, and improvisations jazz
inspired, and the electronic aspects come from
hip- hop.”
Basically, she is influenced by everything.
And it shows in her both her live and studio per
formances.
Recently I was lucky enough to catch up with
Columbia and her band at a recent concert at
Laughing Tree studios in Portland. Following
Johanna Warren and Leo (two other excellent lo
cal acts), Columbia and her band came out like
a well-orchestrated riot. Her drummer, Brandon
Braun (who looks remarkably like Clark Kent)
plays with the enthusiasm and energy of Dave
Grohl and the precision of a surgeon. Her guitar
ist, Grant Sayler, plays guitar like Eddie Van Ha
len would play if he were raised in a jazz club.
Then there is Columbia herself, whose vocals
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keep the whole thing together like a silk wrap
ping around a hip-hop/jazz/pop/soul sandwich.
This is probably an overstatement, but it was a
very impressive show, and I ’m not the only one
who is impressed by her music.
Recently Brian Rose, music tech and teach
er at CCC said, “She’s making some really cool
stuff ... it’s like nothing you’ve ever heard be
fore.”
With the technology of CCC’s recording stu
dio, and the talent of its alumni, expect more
great things to come out of the music program.
You never know what you might hear.
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Coco Columbia performs a t Laughing Tree Studios in Portland. W hen not at a live show, she records with CCC alumni and music tech Sacha Muller.