Austin Day #3

Our song "Play it Loud' is starting to sound amazing.  We started off the day recording acoustic guitar in the Orb Studio. With the help of Juan, we were able to finish the guitar process of our song. Then our pianist Ray worked really hard getting his part done.  Everyone else was enjoying their time in the studio asking questions and/or playing pool or video games in the lobby.  After the piano recording, we started to record Mikayla's vocal. She pushed herself to get her vocals up to Juan"s standards. Then we took a pizza break and now we are back at it with the finishing touches. Our next step is to record the harmony's and fit in everyone's voices.

 -Jack Wagner

 It was nerve racking at first because it is very quiet and lonely. I was in the huge room by myself, with dimmed blue lights. In my head I kept thinking, do not mess up, do not! However, Juan gave me a pep talk that really relaxed my and made me feel comfortable. He told me to, let loose and fill the room with my voice. To just belt it out! I really took his advice into action. I will admit, it did take me a while to really belt my voice and take chances, but eventually I did my best to just make it work. I struggled a lot with the ending of the song, trying to find a right way to end it. The whole process of recording was exciting, stressful, and fun, I do not know how so many great artist record, I truly applauded them.

-Mikayla Williams

We got to see the famous bats of Austin last night and it was great! Imagine 700,000 bats are in the air and you're on a boat right under them! You may be thinking, 'uh-oh the bats are gonna poop on me'. Well, this is exactly what happened to Jack. Jack got pooped on and I honestly couldn't be happier.

-Brighid

Austin Day #2

What a day of music making! We have built a strong foundation for our 'original' song. The recording process can be a difficult one for any musician. It is mentally draining to play your part over and over again to capture your best take.  However, our Husky musicians were up to the task!  Ethan started the day on drums while Drew (Bass), Victor (Guitar), and Mikayla (Voice) created a scratch track (A temporary set of tracks that serve as a scaffold for another instrument to record their part) for him to work with.  In order to keep everyone together, we used a click track (a beat set to certain tempo) to play along with to keep our rhythm true.  However, this is a skill that takes developing and I was super pleased with how the students adjusted and found success.  Drew and Victor made quick work of their parts and we are eager to get back to the studio to work on Piano, Uke, and Vocal tracks tomorrow.

The Orb Recording Studio is AMAZING! It is a state of the art facility.  It has the pictures and records on the wall of the those that have made music there.  It is an impressive list, to say the least: Justin Beiber, Lil Wayne, Skrillex, AVICII, Pentatonix and more. Our engineer, Juan Lopez, is the perfect fit for us.  He is patient and has a great attitude.  It is clear that he enjoys working with this age group.  He works at a lightening speed and is able to make edits in the blink of an eye. He has a lot of great insight and is getting the best out of the students.

Looking forward to seeing what our song becomes! (Disclaimer:  We keep calling it "Our Original Song" as we have yet to agree on a song name.  Drew and Avery want to name it "Vince" after a lost cat they saw on a poster...we'll see!)

Austin Day 1!

What a first day!  The Austin weather was so welcomed.  The students loved that they could be in shorts and feel the sun on their faces.  We had a wonderful BBQ lunch at Cooper's BBQ and then walked off our food coma by heading down to South Congress Street.  We had a private music tour of the city with Rocket Electric.  These bikes were assisted by a small motor powered by a lithium battery.  The motor allowed the bike to go 20mph without pedaling! During the tour, we saw the sights of the city but also had time with local professionals that spoke to us about the history of the Austin music scene. 

A wonderful moment occurred when we stopped under a bridge that had wonderful acoustics.  We listened to a local saxophone player perform and he spoke to us about being a lifelong learner.  He stressed to us that it's never too late to start a new passion and then informed us that he had just started playing the saxophone in his seventies!  Several locals gathered around when they heard the music and we were asked to perform.  The students did an outstanding job performing a stripped down version of the song that we will be recording over the next few days at Orb Studios. The video is below!

It was truly an amazing start to our project week and we are very excited to head to the studio tomorrow for a full day of music making.

Austin or bust!

We are beyond excited!  Only a half hour till we touch down in Austin!

This week is going to be filled with amazing experiences.  We will be recording our original song "Turn Up the Radio" at Orb Recording Studios.  This is a world-class facility where we will work with engineer/producer, Juan Lopez, to get the most out of our talented group of Husky musicians.

We can not wait to share the results of our hard work!

We will grab our bags and head to our hotel this morning.  Then it's off to Rocket Electrics for a three hour Private Music Tour on electric bikes!  The tour should help us get a better sense of the city so we can squeeze the most out of our short time here.

We will try to get to bed early tonight to recover from our 3am start today.  Tuesday day will be a full day in the studio and we will need our full energy.

Creating Music in a Professional Recording Studio: Austin is off to a great start!

Loveless Cafe and Zip Lining!

Good morning from Franklin Tennessee! We enjoyed a nice sleep in this morning and slowly made our way to the Loveless Cafe just outside of Nashville. This cafe has been visited by many famous actors, singers, and TV personalities (they each have their signed photo on the walls). Breakfast was amazing! We devoured their famous biscuits and jelly. Everyone was full and happy by the end of the meal.

After breakfast, we headed out to Adventure Works Zip Lining for some well deserved fun! We went through 10 different zip line courses, each ranging in speed, length, and height. The highest zip line was 8 stories (80 feet). And for those of us who are scared of heights, it was an interesting experience.

Tonight we're planning a low-key dinner at Mike's Hot Chicken Shack for some fried oreos and hot chicken.

Our two tracks are almost finished, and they both sound great! We've only experienced a few hiccups this week, and we're excited to show everyone what we've been working on. The studio we've been working in was also working with a band called SafteySuit, and they were kind enough to introduce us to the lead singer (Doug Brown) and their producer (Smith Carlson). We even got signed tee-shirts! Smith Carlson has produced the last few One Direction albums, Maroon Five, and the last Taylor Swift album.

Wildhorse Saloon and Line Dancing!

Today we woke up around 9:00 to visit Soda Records and Compass Records recording studios.

In Soda Records, we learned about the song writing process and were able to preview unreleased songs from new artists. We were told that when writing songs, it's impossible to have a great first try, it takes hundreds of songs to find one that's good, and then hundreds of more to find one that's great - it's all a part of the songwriting procedure.

In Compass Records recording studio, we learned about the music industry. We toured the studio and listened to some of the artists that have recorded there.
We then headed down to The Country Music Hall of Fame for a tour and some lunch. There were three levels to the museum, and each was filled with memorabilia. After spending an hour or so there, we headed back to downtown Nashville for some shopping, and then to the Wildhorse Saloon for line dancing and dinner. Apparently some of us have two left feet however…

Overall, today was very action packed and once we got back to the hotel everyone went for a quick swim and then headed off to bed.

Tomorrow is zip lining!

Nashville Day #3

Recording Studio + The Nashville Zoo + The Grand Ole Opry = a great day in Nashville!

It was an early start for some of us to finish our two tracks at The Sound Kitchen Studio. We spent the morning recording vocals and instrumentals to finish "Kansas City" and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."

The few of us who didn't go to the recording studio, went to The Nashville Zoo and spent time with kangaroo's and elephants. It was a very successful day!

We grouped back together at 4 pm to make our way into downtown Nashville to have dinner at the Opry Mills Mall at Dave and Busters. After some great food and games, we made our way to The Grand Ole Opry.

At the Opry we got to watch several country music artists perform a wide variety of country music. We sat in the very top rows and enjoyed listening to different artists perform old and new songs. Even though country music wasn't everyones favorite, we were all glad to be able to experience a different form of music.

To wrap up our day, we went back to our hotel for some swimming, relaxation, and snacks. By the end we were ready for bed so we could be fully rested for our early rise the next morning.

Sound Kitchen Studio

Good Morning from Nashville, Tennessee! Everyone was up and ready to go at 8:00am this morning, had a quick breakfast in the hotel, and then drove 10 minutes down the road to our recording studio. The studio itself is very exclusive, so it was a little difficult to find the building without any signage outside.

We spent the first hour learning about the studio and all it's different parts. The small exterior misled us; the studio is surprisingly large. There are six separate recording studios, ranging from small to large spaces. The first studio we saw lived up to it's name; "Big Boy."

This studio (to the right and below) is one of the most mathematically perfect set ups in the world. Each piece of wood, carpet, or brick is specifically placed to benefit the sound quality. This studio is used for drums, orchestras, and choral groups. The curtains in the picture can be opened to expose more bricks for a different sound quality. The wood panels on the side can be folded against themselves as well, and the ceiling is covered with mics for added benefit. This room is 100% customizable.

The next studio we were shown was called "Studio A." That particular studio is rented for the day by the band SafetySuit (some of us are a little starstruck). They have their own producer come in to help with the recording, and he's produced the last few One Direction albums, Maroon Five, and the last Taylor Swift album. 

The final studio (to the left) is called "Studio B." A few years ago, Katy Hudson recorded her first Christian album there. However, you may know her now as Katy Perry. "Studio B" is the smallest of the studios in the Sound Kitchen, and is ideal for smaller groups. 

The studio that we are using is called "Studio E." It's the medium sized studio out of all six and has been used by Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton and Veggie Tales. Outside of the main room are three separate studios; one each for vocals, piano, and guitars. The main room is used for drums as well as electric guitar.

The engineer and producer that we're working with both started out as interns six years ago, and now they run the studio. In the music industry, interning is one of the most important jobs you can have. Even though you start with washing windows and getting coffee, you watch and learn from true professionals.

First Day in Nashville!

= success!

We landed safely in Nashville at 2:00pm local time (we went forward and back an hour in one day), and proceeded to our hotel in Cool Springs, Franklin. We're staying at an awesome hotel that has a pool and a sweet set up in the rooms. After napping and relaxing for a bit, we headed to downtown Franklin and Puckett's Restaurant for some good ole southern comfort food.

Unfortunately, the food didn't last long enough for too many photos...

After eating, we went back to the hotel in our food induced comas to rest before an early start on Monday morning; we have an 8:00am start time for our first day in the Sound Kitchen Studio. 

Project Week is Back!

The countdown has begun for the 2015 Project Week trip to Nashville, TN to learn about creating music in a professional recording studio!

Students and faculty alike are buzzing with excitement with the highly anticipated Project Week finally in sight. Flights are booked, hotel rooms reserved, and instruments are tuned as the Nashville crew looks to set out to investigate the operations of the music industry.

Essential Question: How does the deeper understanding of the music making process and the music recording industry prepare students for possible career choices and life-long involvement in the arts?

In order to grasp a firm understanding of what the music industry truly encompasses, students will explore many facets of the business. Fifteen hours of in-studio time will be spent recording a number of tracks while collaborating with industry professionals. The students will create their own recipe in order to capture a blend of songs in the phenomenal space that is the Sound Kitchen. Click the link to explore the Sound Kitchen!

Along with studio time, students will explore the music mecca that Nashville has become. The week will be riddled with a variety of live performances, along with a visit to The Country Music Hall of Fame. No corner of Nashville will be left unturned! Stay in-tune with the music crew along the way. Follow this blog, as well as the #nhsprojectweek handle on Twitter and Instagram, for daily updates.

Take A Listen!

Congratulations to all involved in this special week! We had a fantastic time and really enjoyed the time we spent together. Thanks to all that played a part in making this experience possible. A special thanks to Justin Joslin, Director of Experiential Learning at NHS, for all of his help and leadership.

Here are all of our tracks from Creating Music in a Professional Recording Studio: San Francisco 2014!

Dave Matthews Band- Crash Into Me
Featuring:
Marcel Johnson- Lead Vocal
Jill Adams- Background Vocal
Dylan Sobczyk- Guitar
Jake Murray- Guitar
Conor Soucy- Piano
Innes Miller- Bass and Aux percussion
Matt Cole- Drums
Monti McCoy- Synth



My Body by Young the Giant
Featuring:
Jill Adams- Lead Vocal
Marcel Johnson- Background Vocal
Dylan Sobczyk- Guitar
Conor Soucy- Piano
Innes Miller- Bass and Drums
Monti McCoy- Synth



Mama's Broken Heart by Miranda Lambert
Featuring:
Callie McManus- Lead Vocal
Monti McCoy- Background Vocal
Dylan Sobczyk- Guitar
Jake Murray- Guitar
Innes Miller- Bass and Aux Percussion
Matt Cole- Drums



Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana (One take-Live studio recording)
Featuring:
Conor Soucy- Piano
Dylan Sobczyk- Guitar
Lukas Bjorklund- Bass
Innes Miller- Drums

An Amazing Week in San Francisco! Listen To Our First Track!

It has been such an amazing week! It has been a week filled with music, culture, history, nature, and friends. We had a fantastic final day. We finished up our tracks at the studio, took a cruise out in the bay to Alcatraz, visited Pier 39, shopped Fisherman's Wharf, and had a great dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. We have learned so much about the recording process and had the opportunity to work with a world class producer. He was a wonderful teacher and took the time to give us all insight into the world of music production and the life of a professional musician. It is sad to leave this beautiful city but we are excited to return home to Husky Nation to share all that we have created and learned this week. 

Please follow the link below to hear our first release from our studio session! The song is Crash Into Me by Dave Matthew's Band and it features Marcel Johnson on Lead Vocal, Jill Adams on Background Vocal, Dylan Sobczyk on Guitar, Innes Miller on Bass, Conor Soucy on Piano, Matt Cole on Drums, Monti McCoy on Synth. We are extremely proud of our work and hope you enjoy it! #nhsmemories #grateful

Haight & Ashbury and Third Day in the Studio

On our fourth day in San Francisco, we left at 9 am to drive down to Haight & Ashbury to visit the Amoeba Record store and explore. We visited where the Grateful Dead lived, enjoyed an amazing guitar/music store, shopped, and visited the "That's so Raven" House. That is Adam's favorite show.

After an hour, half of the group went back to the studio to record our last song while the other half stayed to explore this area a bit deeper. In the studio, we recorded "Mama's Broken Heart" by Miranda Lambert. Callie and all did a fantastic job, and we are extremely excited to share ALL the music we created this week. 

We had a little extra time at the end of our studio session today. Dylan, Innes, Conor, and Lukas did a live studio, one take recording of "Heart Shaped Box" by Nirvana. It is so good and helps demonstrate another way bands capture their music in a studio setting. With our other songs we used a tracking process. This is where you lay the foundation first: Drums and Bass. Then you carefully layer all the other parts, one at a time, and finish with the vocalist(s). It provides the musicians the opportunity to perfect their contribution to the song and achieves a very polished feel. When recording a live, one take recording, the musicians play in a room together, play the song several times, and choose the complete take they like the best. It will have imperfections, but it captures the energy and music in the moment. The music has a feel that is much more natural and raw then when tracking. Both have their upside and downside, and it is up to the musicians to decide the feel they want for their recordings. Tomorrow we will spend an hour in the morning watching our producer demonstrate the "mastering" process. Then our recordings will be complete and ready to share with Husky Nation!

Second Day in the Recording Studio!

After enjoying a hike through the Muir Woods, our group drove up to the recording studio to get started on our next song. The producer showed us the (almost) final product of "Crash", and we are beyond excited to share everything with you guys!

Today we arrived at 11:30 to try to get a head start on "My Body" by Young The Giant, but we didn't get started recording until 1:30. We spent the beginning learning about Audio Mastering and how it effects the music that we create. Mastering is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a storage device and onto a CD. During that time, the audio recording is balanced, equalized, and enhanced so that the finished product will be more musical.

When it became time to record "My Body," we practiced four times, and then recorded another four separate times to ensure that we would have a perfect take. After we record, we sit together in the mixing room and pick apart each instrument, then cut and paste the best selections together. 

Muir Woods

The Creating Music group woke up bright and early, grabbed a quick breakfast, and went for an early morning hike in Muir Woods National Monument. The view was amazing. Here are some photos!

First Day In the Studio!

This morning, The Creating Music in a Professional Recording Studio group woke up at 8 am and left for a walk down the Berkley Pier!

After getting settled back into the vans, we drove down to Betty's Ocean View to have breakfast.

After cruising around the University of Berkley, exploring the opportunities it has to offer, we finally arrived at the Studio. Our first song to be recorded is "Crash" by Dave Matthew's Band.